Brawn and Brains

As a child in soviet Ukraine, Wladimir Klitschko was so enamored of all things American that he sniffed the carbonated air from a bootlegged bottle of Coca-Cola to "smell" the free world. "We felt then like Robinson Crusoe on his desert island," says Klitschko, 26. Now, having visited the U.S. more than 100 times on his way to becoming one of the world's top boxers, Klitschko has grown accustomed to another fragrance — the sweet smell of success.

Why does everyone think boxers are stupid? I've met plenty of smart boxers Q&A What's your relationship with your brother like? We look alike so people often confuse us. We are quite different. We have a very good, if sometimes competitive, relationship. One day, I hope, he will have two of the four most prestigious titles in boxing and I will have the other two. We do have a promise to our mother never to fight each other, though, even if we had to compete for the same title. Will you and Vitaly ever return to Ukraine? We go back quite often and are doing what we can to help, especially the children. I hope that one day Ukraine is as rich as Germany or America, but it will take time. Are you ever scared in the ring? How do you deal with that? I'm always scared when I fight. Fear is very important because it helps me stay alert and focus on defense, which is more important than offense. A good boxer protects himself first and strikes second. Why do you think people consider boxers stupid? It's just one of those clichés — like all models are bimbos or all politicians corrupt. I've met plenty of smart boxers in my life, and I plan to do everything I can to change the stereotype. Bringing chess into the ring is a start in that direction. Who are the boxers you'd most like to fight? Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. Even though Tyson is not half the man he once was, I still consider him one of the legends of the boxing world.

The World Boxing Organization's heavyweight champion, Klitschko took the title two years ago by dominating American Chris Byrd in a 12-round bout. He will defend it for the fourth time this Saturday in Las Vegas, against another American, Jameel McCline. Klitschko, who will reportedly earn more than $1 million for the fight, is the overwhelming favorite.

Fight connoisseurs are calling him the boxing world's next superstar. Despite his size — he's 2 m and weighs 114 kg — the long-limbed Klitschko is surprisingly light on his feet, but packs a wicked punch. His chief competition for ring mastery ring comes from his brother Vitaly, 31, who will challenge Lennox Lewis, heavyweight champ of the World Boxing Council (the best-known of the four major boxing organizations) early next year. They are the most promising sibling pugilists since the Sullivan brothers of the early 20th century.

Despite the glory he has won in the ring, Klitschko is quick to stress that boxing is "only a small part of my life." And he is eager to knock down one of the boxing world's most enduring clichés: that of the dim-witted fighter. "Why does everyone think boxers are stupid?" he asks. Well, maybe because of events like last week's press conference by former wbc title-holder Mike Tyson, who announced that he's ready to return to the ring and is "tired of being stupid." But the Klitschko brothers break that sorry old mold. They hold Ph.D.s in sports science from the University of Kiev, have cowritten a book on fitness, speak several languages and are ace chess players. And they may be having some influence on their colleagues. Lewis has become a chess devotee, although he hasn't yet matched the Klitschkos' prowess on the board. Vitaly held his own against Garry Kasparov in an exhibition match last year and played current world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik to a draw earlier this year. Vitaly is the stronger chess player, but he concedes that his little brother is "the better boxer. Wladimir is the future in boxing," he predicts.

For the moment, at least, that future lies in America. Wladimir has been practicing his English as diligently as he has been training. His regimen includes studying a chart of verb conjugations in his promoter's office in Hamburg, where the brothers have lived since 1996. But for all his bookish credentials and his affable, almost shy demeanor, Klitschko is also quite the performer. Like his childhood idol Muhammad Ali — whose star-studded birthday party he attended in January — Klitschko revels in showmanship, appearing at fights wearing Soviet-red Hugo Boss shorts and a malevolent grin. Still, as much as he's enjoying himself, "I don't want to be fighting 10 years from now," he says. "I don't want to be 48 and still in the ring like George Foreman."

Klitschko cites Max Schmeling, the 1930s German boxing legend who retired at 33 and set up a Coca-Cola franchise in Hamburg after the war, as an inspiration. Klitschko is considering going into business or politics after his fighting career, and doesn't rule out returning to Ukraine to forge a career in government. With his present fame in his homeland, where he has helped finance the reconstruction of an Orthodox church in Kiev, that shouldn't be too difficult. As for his boxing career, he has only one hard and fast rule: He will never fight his brother in the ring. "We both love our mother," he explains. "We promised her that when we started boxing."