Thursday 12 November 2015 15:31, UK
Wladimir Klitschko takes on Tyson Fury in Dusseldorf on Saturday October 24 live on Sky Sports Box Office and here we look back on the heavyweight champion's last five fights.
The Ukrainian (64-3-KO53) is defending his WBA, WBO and IBF belts against the unbeaten Englishman, looking to continue a run of victories that will have stretched more than 11 years by the time the opening bell rings.
Now 39, Klitschko has disposed of the likes of David Haye and Ruslan Chagaev in the past but here, we recall his five most recent defences.
Result: Won UD12
In Philadelphia's Jennings, Klitschko faced an unbeaten 30-year-old hungry to shock the world. Although he had only just edged out Mike Perez in his previous bout, Jennings had Lennox Lewis in his corner and presented a genuine opponent.
Klitschko dictated much of the fight with his trademark spearing left jab keeping the 6'3" Jennings at bay, and screwed in several meaningful overhand rights as the challenger looked to duck to his right and cover up, leaving his temple exposed.
It was not all plain sailing for 'Dr Steelhammer' though - he was forced to eat a serious Jennings left hook in the later rounds and it was followed by an accurate right cross, but although it was not the most emphatic performance of his career, scorecards of 118-109, 116-111 and 116-111 meant the champion had comfortably retained his belts.
Result: Won KO5
Again, Klitschko was up against a younger, unbeaten fighter in Bulgaria's Pulev, who had vacated his European title the previous year in order to chase world honours.
Klitschko started like a steam train and knocked his man down after just a minute with a stunning left hand lead. Having risen to his feet and stood on one leg with his tongue out in a show of braggadocio, Pulev was bundled to the floor again but regathered his senses over the next couple of rounds.
The challenger took a thunderous right in the third and was knocked down soon after and, although he showed flashes of his own punching skills in the fourth and fifth, Pulev found Klitschko's left hook too much and was counted out after another heavy knockdown.
Result: Won KO5
Although he had been beaten by the likes of Kevin Johnson, Leapai warmed up for his world title tilt by becoming the first (and still the only) man to beat Germany's Denis Boytsov. A burly Samoan similar in appearance to former world title challenger David Tua, he went in a massive underdog.
Leapai was down in the first round following a trio of Klitschko jabs, although he claimed it was a slip. At just 6'0", the challenger was desperate to get on the inside but in doing so, provided an easy target for Klitschko's left jab and hurtful right crosses over the next few rounds.
A savage sequence of left-rights sent Leapai stumbling backwards to the canvas in the fifth and although he bravely rose for more, another similar combination sent him down between the bottom ropes and unable to continue.
Result: Won UD12
This was Klitschko's most recent unification bout. The unbeaten Povetkin brought to the table the WBA crown he won by outpointing Ruslan Chagaev in 2011 and was considered Klitschko's most serious test for some time.
Russia's Povetkin was a little crude in coming forward and was knocked down for the first time in the second round by a crisp left-hook lead to the temple. He regrouped but continued to be on the wrong end of the exchanges, caught consistently by Klitschko lefts when lunging in.
A trio of scrappy seventh-round knockdowns ensured a wide-margin 119-104 119-104 119-104 for Klitschko, despite having a point deducted in the 11th for throwing Povetkin to the floor (a tactic which Povetkin claimed contributed to the knockdowns in the seventh.)
Result: Won KO6
Pianeta arrived in Mannheim for his world title tilt unbeaten, having drawn with former world title challenger Albert Sosnowski in 2009.
Klitschko signalled his intent in the first when he landed a left hook teed up by a snappy right hand. The combination continued to find success and Pianeta became increasingly wild with his attacks in the following rounds albeit with occasional success.
A piercing right cross and a clubbing left yielded knockdowns in the fourth and fifth respectively and in the sixth, the right-left combination that had troubled Pianeta early on ended the fight as the Italian was deemed unfit to continue after being pounded to the floor.
