Vitali Klitschko - The Ring Magazine Champion

Then Vitali retired so soon after Lewis interestingly.

 

Oh yeah he was in training in 2005 and meant to fight but multiple injuries got in the way.

 

Which kind of threw things again for the lineal title.

 

Ring Magazine were essentially following their own policy, but for various reasons the title claim failed to put down roots.

 

That's pretty rough.

 

Vitali appeared to have less problems with injury in his 2nd WB reign. Perhaps he changed up recovery methods and he arm punched a lot more possibly not wanting to risk his shoulder again.

 

Interesting, so we might've gotten Wilder vs Vitali for the WBC belt if Vitali's body held out a little longer.

At that stage of his career, Vitali had slowed down a lot in terms of his overall athleticism, but was still as strong as a bull with an iron jaw. It would've been quite the test for a young Wilder's first title shot.

 

Cough cough Dino cough cough

 

I don't know where the idea that the literal 1 and 2 must fight for a vacant belt came from and how 1 and 3 fighting for it became a controversy.

He didn't but there was nothing stopping Vitali from fighting Byrd next.