Wladimir Klitschko still has a draft saved on his phone which confirmed his then-intention to fight Anthony Joshua for a second time.
All signs were pointed in the direction of a rematch between the heavyweight rivals after Joshua stopped Klitschko in the 11th round of their Wembley showdown in April.
It was one of the greatest fights in the heavyweight division in years, with both men hitting the canvas before the finish ultimately arrived in the penultimate round.
The back-and-forth nature of the contest left a voracious appetite among fans to see it for a second time and that was the plan.
But then, all of a sudden, Klitschko decided to hang up his gloves after 21 years as a professional and Joshua was forced to look at his mandatory challengers and unification options.
My HEART is at PEACE as I pass the torch to @anthonyfjoshua – the next generation. Good luck little bro, I'm proud of you! pic.twitter.com/R64jCOMYTA
— Klitschko (@Klitschko) August 4, 2017
Klitschko’s drafted announcement, which remains on his phone, read: “I love boxing. I love its fans, its challenges and life chances so much. Klitschko vs Joshua 2 is on. I’ll see you at ringside.”
“It was the most difficult decision,” Klitschko told the International Business Times of his ultimate retirement announcement. “But I am so happy. You couldn’t know about it before [whether you will be happy with your decision], you know about it later on when your decision is made, a couple of months after whether it was right or wrong. I would say it was right. I did maybe an illogical thing. But I stepped out on my terms. Not any else’s. But my terms. I think my stock went up, not down. And I was surprised that was possible.”
The long-time heavyweight champion of the world will go down as one of the greats of the sport and got out before it was too late insofar as he sustained minimal damage, particularly when you consider the power-punchers he’s faced throughout his career.
And the Ukrainian fighter can sleep easy at night with the knowledge that he handed over the baton to a young, hungry lion in ‘AJ’.
“I think Joshua was born that night,” Klitschko added. “He recouped, he recovered, and he fought back. He was really challenged.
“That was his birth. There is always a circle of life. I have seen family members passing away and family members being born so I understand there is a circle of life. You have to accept it. You have to support it if is right. That’s what I am doing.”
