Tyson Fury's ex-cutman Jason 'Stitch' Duran recalls moment Wladimir Klitschko left him in awe before Anthony Joshua fight
09/02/2024 23:09
Jason ‘Stitch’ Duran has opened up on the time Wladimir Klitschko made him ‘freak out’ just moments before his world title fight against Anthony Joshua.
Duran is one of boxing’s legendary cutmen and has been in the corner with fighters including Tyson Fury, Andre Ward Chris Algieri and even Wladimir’s brother Vitali.
He joined Klitschko ringside in 2017 when he faced Joshua for the IBF and then vacant WBA [Super] and IBO heavyweight titles at Wembley Stadium.
Ukrainian legend Klitschko was stopped in round 11 and it proved to be the two-time heavyweight champion’s final fight of his career.
Despite it ending in defeat, ‘Stitch’ revealed to talkSPORT what the 47-year-old said to him just seconds before the first bell that left him gobsmacked.
“Let me tell you a real quick story with Wladimir and Anthony Joshua, that fight at Wembley Stadium,” he told Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent on Drive.
“I had just got in there Friday because my daughter Carla had got married the day before in Crete and I didn’t see Wladimir or Vitali until the weigh-ins.
“Finally I talked to them and I put my hand on Wladimir and I said, ‘Look, don’t worry about nothing tomorrow, I’m going to take care of you like you’re my son.’
“So we’re walking out into the arena and it’s loud, it’s just buzzing and right before Michael Buffer does the announcements, I’m putting the final Vaseline on Wladimir.
“He says, ‘You can call me son.’ Oh my god, I freaked out, just him and I.
“Last time I’ve seen him was like three months after that fight, I asked him, I said, ‘Wladimir, that one moment, why?’
“He says, ‘Stitch, there’s very few people I trust in my life, you are one of them.’
“But it was great because I tell people, he lost his world title, but he said it was the best fight he ever had in his career.
“I agree because the fans were ‘Klitschko! Klitschko! Joshua! Joshua!’ It was phenomenal, I was glad to be a part of it.”
Klitschko announced his retirement a few months after his defeat to Joshua, calling time on a career that saw him fight in 69 professional bouts.
He won 64 of those, with Fury also just one of five fighters to beat him in the ring where he ended his 11-year win streak in 2015.
