Just when it seemed as though all speculation regarding a Wladimir Klitschko comeback had been put to bed by Wladimir himself – who recently wrote on social media how talk of his returning to the ring was “an early April Fool’s Day joke” – another massive twist in the plot has arisen.
According to a piece over at RingTV.com, “industry sources” informed The Bible Of Boxing how Klitschko, now aged 42 and inactive since his thrilling but losing fight with Anthony Joshua in April of 2017, met with DAZN majority shareholder Len Blavatnik to discuss a three-fight deal that would see the former champ face a “limited” opponent in the first fight of the three.
Then it gets really interesting: the second fight discussed was a rematch with Tyson Fury; the man who, as we all know, won an upset decision over Klitschko in November of 2015. The third prospective fight? A return with Joshua.
It must be stressed that this deal is in the talking stage only at this point, but it seems Wladimir was being less than honest when he tweeted earlier this week that he was not set to return to the ring. It would of course be big, for the sport as a whole and for DAZN, if this three-fight deal did come to fruition. But can Klitschko avenge either of his two recent defeats? Is he a fool if he tries to do so?
Meanwhile, Dillian Whyte, who was rumoured to be the “big British heavyweight” Wladimir would return to fight this spring, has told Behind The Gloves that Klitschko was “lying” when he stated that he was not returning to the ring.
“That’s a lie, Klitschko is definitely coming back,” Whyte said. “We offered him a fight and he said he needs two warm-up fights before he fights me. He’s definitely coming back, 100 percent.”
According to the RingTV article, it will be a “limited” foe first, then Fury and then AJ; with no mention of Whyte – unless of course Whyte is the “limited” opponent mentioned. This doesn’t seem likely but a Klitschko comeback does now seem very likely.
Let’s re-ask the question: would a Wladimir Klitschko comeback be good or bad for boxing?