Former world champion Wladimir Klitschko has commented on speculation about a return to the boxing ring and put reports of an imminent comeback into perspective.
“These days there are a lot of rumors about a possible comeback. At the moment it’s not about my return to boxing, but about the return of the Russians to their country, outside of Ukraine,” Klitschko wrote on X on Thursday evening.
The former world number one posted a selfie with his compatriot Alexander Usyk, who is taking part in a rematch against Briton Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on Saturday (11 p.m./pay-per-view on DAZN).
But Klitschko didn’t want to completely rule out a comeback. He never stopped training: “So IF there was a fight, I would be ready immediately. But this weekend I will only watch a fight with a talented Ukrainian.”
Klitschko’s return had previously been reported in the media as perfect. There was also speculation about a fight on February 22nd against the British IBF world champion Daniel Dubois. Saudi businessman Turki Al-Sheikh, currently the most powerful man in boxing, is very interested in a Klitschko comeback. In the run-up to the mega-fight between Fury and Usyk in Riyadh, he said he wanted Klitschko to be the opponent for the winner. It is questionable whether this will happen.
A duel with Fury would be a chance for revenge for Klitschko; in November 2015 he lost the three world championship belts of the IBF, IBO and WBO associations against the Brit in Düsseldorf. Should Klitschko fight for a world title, he would also have the opportunity to replace George Foreman as the oldest heavyweight champion. Klitschko has not been in the ring since 2017.