While there had been a lot of reports and rumors in recent months that former undisputed heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko was toying with the idea of coming back, today has seen the first tangible bit of information relating to the story come to the surface.
Press in his native Ukraine have reported that Klitschko will return on May 25th against an opponent to be named and the fight is reportedly set to take place on US streaming platform DAZN.
Not much more is known other than that at this point but its definitely an interesting addition again to the heavyweight division.
A lot has changed really since Klitschko once ruled the division years ago.
It’s alive and full of excitement and energy for one thing. People are actually interested in the division again.
Fighters like Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are now at the top.
Of course, Klitschko knows Joshua and Fury well having lost to both of them.
It’s hard to see how Wladimir will have gotten any better at his age whereas the previous two fighters most certainly will have improved since their respective fights with him.
Klitschko must be seeing all these huge purses going around in the heavyweight division at the moment and wants a piece of it.
You can’t blame him.
More than anything though, DAZN in the US must really need subscribers now after Deontay Wilder turned down a deal recently to face Anthony Joshua.
ESPN recently announced UFC fights onto their new streaming app and at only five bucks a month compared to now twenty bucks a month to have DAZN, the big boys at ESPN appear to be pulling away with ease in the sports streaming arms race.
Joshua takes on little known Jarrell Miller next and needs a dance partner before the end of the year who has a name that people care about him fighting, in truth.
Klitschko would be a good backup option if he can’t get Fury or Wilder this year.
All in all, good news for boxing is big Wlad does come back.
