The legendary Ukrainian heavyweight Vladimir Klitschko shared who among his former opponents hit the hardest.
According to the former world champion, none of his numerous opponents had the stunning power that the South African Corrie Sanders possessed.
"Sanders was incredibly quick in the ring and had really heavy fists. I spent 25 years in professional boxing, and no one hit me as hard as he did. I was truly shaken," Vladimir admitted.
This memorable fight took place on March 8, 2003, in Hanover, Germany. The then-young and confident Klitschko stepped into the ring for the WBO title but was stopped in the second round by a technical knockout after a series of devastating left-hand blows by Sanders.
The defeat to Corrie became one of the most painful in Vladimir's career, but it was this fight, according to his own words, that helped him become stronger and approach future preparations more seriously.
A year later, the elder brother Vitali Klitschko avenged Vladimir: in 2004, he confidently finished Sanders in a bout for the vacant WBC title.
