Wladimir Klitschko has done it all in the ring but even taking that into account, this weekend could well be the crowning moment of a 20 year journey. He will step out in front of 90,000, for the first time in years as the underdog, to fight a young hungry lion in Anthony Joshua who is 15 years his junior.
The Ukrainian fighter has never been able to grab the attention of the boxing public outside of his native country and Germany, but are we in danger of overlooking one of the most underappreciated fighters of all time?
British fans are expecting AJ to wipe the floor with a middle aged man who is not only past his best, but one that they believe wasn't that good even when he was younger. We analyse why it would be a mistake to overlook Dr Steelhammer...
The Dominant Heavyweight of the 21st Century
There will be a large chunk of the Wembley crowd that wern't even born when a young Wladimir Klitschko when to Atlanta as a raw, but talented boxer, in 1996 and he came home with a Gold Medal. That win on the biggest stage of them all served notice of an exceptionally talented young fighter, and he has certainly lived up to that hype.
Sure, Wladimir had his problems during the first half of his pro career with his shocking defeat at the hands of Lamon Brewster in 2004, the key moment. From that disappointment, Klitschko would win 22 fights on the bounce up until the reverse against Tyson Fury last time out.
Klitschko would win his 2nd World Title against Chris Byrd in April 2006 and would hold onto the belts for very nearly a decade. When we talk about experience, he has it bundles.
It is certainly true to say that he dominated an era which was weak on world class fighters but names like David Haye, Alexander Povetkin and Kubrat Pulev were all dealt with during that period, and Joshua hasn't fought anyone even remotely in that class during his fledgling career.
Klitschko has been involved in more World Title bouts than Joshua has had fights. The man from Kiev will walk into the ring on Saturday night with a record of 64 wins from 68 fights, and although his best days are clearly behind him, he remains a major threat to any fighter on the planet.
More Substance Than Style...
Under the tutelage of the late great Emanuel Steward, Klitschko developed a style that fighter after fighter, tried and failed to break down. He realised after a couple of crushing defeats that being hit by 18 stone men was probably not the best idea if he was to realise his potential.
Excellent thinking Wlad.
Wladimir is often criticised for being a boring fighter, and in truth it is hard to argue with those claims. He has mastered the art of fighting off the back foot with his long jab doing most of the damage during his career. Anyone who dared to get on the inside and rough him up, was held and cuddled until the referee intervened and that has made him a difficult sell to American audiences in particular.
It didn't make for great viewing and boxing fans across the world turned off their TVs in droves. Fight fans want the flair of Muhammed Ali or the excitement of Mike Tyson, and it is far to say that Klitschko doesn't provide either of those attributes.
What he has got though is the ability to win fights at the very highest level, and that is an ability that shouldn't be overlooked. He will know that his best chance of beating Joshua is to stick to his style and make no mistake, he has the ability to frustrate and wear down a man who is used to getting exactly his own way.
A Wounded Fighter Is A Dangerous One...
The last time we saw Wladimir Klitschko, he was beaten and frustrated as he lost his belts via a points decision at the hands of Tyson Fury. We all know what's happened to the British fighter since that famous win but what has that done for the former champion?
Was that the beginning of the end for a fighter on the way down, or was it simply a blip from a man who had become used to winning and took that night for granted?
Klitschko has spoken a number of times about his desire to gain his belts back, and there is some truth in the fact that he goes into this fight with very little to lose.
If he is beaten by Anthony Joshua, he can point to the fact that at 41 he is past his best and retire with a bulging bank balance, but should he defeat the new star of the sport, it will be the crowning glory of a two decade journey. The bookmakers are expecting him to get blown away by the power and style of the home fighter, and whilst that maybe the case, it would be foolish to write off a man who has been there and done it all.
