Shocker: Vitali Klitschko Announces Retirement!

Heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko has shocked the boxing world by announcing his "official" retirement from the sport. Klitschko has suffered through an injury-plagued year which has forced several postponements of his planned title defense against Hasim Rahman. Apparently, the latest injury - a torn meniscus in his right knee - has convinced him to step away from the ring for good. The surgical procedure on his knee was deemed a success but will still require a six-month rest period. During this time, Klitschko would have likely been stripped of his title due to inactivity and his retirement may simply be a way to avoid the politics of the alphabet organizations and take his time to get 100% healthy. The guess here is that Klitschko's retirement is more credible than the average boxing retirement. Nevertheless - at age 34 and will plenty of money still to be made - it would not be the least bit surprising for Klitschko to eventually announce his "official" comeback.