Former world champion boxer Vitali Klitschko has apparently withdrawn from the 2015 presidential race in the Ukraine. An announcement was made on Saturday, which confirmed reports that had been circulating from Reuters.
Long an activist in his country, Klitschko had been running as part of the UDAR (Ukrainian Democracy Alliance for Reform) party. Now he has decided to back another candidate, Petro Poroshenko. Poroshenko is a billionaire who made his fortune from the candy industry. He will now run against the former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, who announced her plans to run earlier in the week.
“The only chance of winning is to nominate one candidate from the democratic forces,” Klitschko informed the UDAR party, according to a Reuters report.
It was back in 2013 that the former three time heavyweight champion officially announced his retirement from boxing, and he hasn’t actually competed since Sept. 2012, when he knocked out Manuel Charr in the 4th round. This marks the second time he has retired while serving as a sitting heavyweight champion.
His younger brother, Wladimir, is still serving as the lineal heavyweight champion.
The decision to retire was frustrating for many fans of the sport. However, Vitali Klitschko has become much more focused on fighting against the civil unrest that has plagued the Ukraine in recent years.
