Former unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has been secretly planning a comeback at 48 to challenge IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois for the title. Klitschko has not fought since losing to Anthony Joshua by 11th-round knockout on April 29, 2017, and has given up on the idea of returning to the ring.
The Daily Mail reported that the IBF was “considerate” of the idea of sanctioning the Klitschko-Dubois fight, which is understandable given the huge backlash that would have erupted had the bout taken place.
If the fight had gone through, Klitschko would have possibly surpassed George Foreman’s record for oldest heavyweight champion had he prevailed. Of course, the odds of Wladimir defeating Dubois would be incredibly slim to the point of being physically impossible.
Klitschko has always had a chin problem throughout his career and has lost by knockout to the likes of Ross Puritty, Corrie Sanders, Lamon Brewster, Tyson Fury and Joshua. He also had stamina issues, which led to him gassing in his fights against Puritty, Joshua and Brewster.
Wladimir’s Best wins
- David Haye
- Samuel Peter
- Chris Byrd
- Tony Thompson
- Lamon Brewster
- Calvin Brock
It is believed that the heavy amount of criticism of influencer Jake Paul’s recent fight against 58-year-old Mike Tyson on November 15 factored into the decision that the Klitschko fight would not take place.
The people who put in the money to make the Klitschko vs. funding Dubois fight would have been criticized non-stop by the fans, especially if it ended in a first-round blowout with Daniel obliterating the grizzled Wladimir.
The image of an old, wrinkled, gray haired Klitschko being crushed by Dubois in one round would have led to incessant criticism of the money men who fought this circus level.
Fans would like to see these fights stopped because they are bad for the sport, make a mockery of it and put it in a negative light that makes it look fake.
You can’t have that in other sports like the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball (MLB). The commissioner of those pitches will reject the idea of a team full of older players playing a top level team as part of league play that will count on records. It will make a joke of those sports, just like it does with boxing.
