Could former heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko be making a return to the boxing ring?
At the age of 42 (almost 43), it appears that Wladimir Klitschko is considering a return to boxing. The longtime heavyweight champion decided to pack it in in mid-2017 after a rematch with Anthony Joshua didn’t come to fruition, but with the landscape of the sport changing to a great degree over the last year, it looks like he’s interested in coming back. And that comeback would see him sign with DAZN for rematches with Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Ring Magazine writer Mike Coppinger shared the news on social media:
Sources: Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko was discussing a three-fight deal with DAZN that would end his retirement. First fight would be a tune-up, followed by rematches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, in that order
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 17, 2019
Klitschko told @SIChrisMannix it wasn’t true that he would discussing a fight with Dillian Whyte. He in fact wasn’t interested in boxing Whyte, but he’s keen on a comeback
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 17, 2019
In the accompanying article, some of the possible terms of a DAZN deal are laid out:
“The deal, if completed, would make Klitschko a global ambassador for DAZN (soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo holds that title for the streaming service.)
As part of the package, DAZN would make a significant contribution to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), a charity both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are deeply involved with, per sources.”
It should be noted that the news from Coppinger flies in the face of what Klitschko himself tweeted a few days ago in regards to a possible comeback:
I’m all about challenges in life and I do really feel that I “still got it” . Recently many of you contacted me willing to see me making a comeback to the ring this April and I’m thankful to y’all for that. However, I need to call such speculation an early April fool’s day joke
— Klitschko (@Klitschko) January 15, 2019
Klitschko (64-5, 53 KO) spent most of the 21st century as some form of heavyweight champion, and won 22 bouts in a row from 2004-2015. He was finally dethroned by Fury in late 2015, and then was defeated by Joshua in a thrilling 2017 bout. Rematches with both men were on the table at some point, but they never came about. Fury failed his drug test for the Klitschko rematch, while Wladimir retired before a planned Joshua rematch in December 2017.
While his style wasn’t the most exciting, Klitschko was undoubtedly the best heavyweight boxer in the world for a decade and a comeback would generate a lot of money. It would be quite a coup for DAZN to get him under contract. They already have Joshua, who defeated Alexander Povetkin in September in his debut on the streaming network. His next fight will take place either on April 13th at Wembley Stadium in London, or possibly against Jarrell Miller in the United States in June. Fury’s last fight, a disputed draw with Deontay Wilder, aired on Showtime PPV in North America and did about 325,000 buys. It is likely that they’ll rematch sometime in May or June.
It’s unclear if Fury’s promoter Frank Warren would work with DAZN for Fury-Klitschko 2, but anything is possible right now. Regardless, heavyweight boxing would get a boost in popularity if Klitschko does indeed head back into the ring.