Wladimir Klitschko -- Wrestles Alligator ... Lives.

Wladimir Klitschko:
Age: 38
Weight: 246 lbs
Size: 6'6"

Charlie the Alligator:
Age: 10-ish
Weight: 200 lbs
Size: 9'0"

It was boxer vs. man-eater at the Gator Park in Miami, Florida this week ... when Hayden Panettiere's baby daddy got up close and personal with a live male alligator ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

It's unclear why a guy whose hands are worth SO MUCH MONEY would put his fists near the mouth of a gator ... but we're told he was with a German TV crew that was shooting for some sort of reality-ish show about Klitschko's life.

We spoke with a rep for Charlie the Alligator (his trainer Tom) who tells us, "He had complete control over the alligator for about a minute and a half."

Turns out, gators pack one hell of a punch when they chomp down ... but the muscles that OPEN their jaws are super-weak, which is why Tom allowed Wlad to put his hands on Charlie's face.

"I'm sure it is uncomfortable for someone who is doing it for the first time, but he was brave."