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Legendary Ukrainian heavyweight Volodymyr Klychko (64-5, 53 KOs), who has not been in the ring for almost eight years after losing to Anthony Joshua, was planning to return to boxing to break George Foreman’s record to become the oldest world champion in history.

Klychko, 48, was supposed to fight for the IBF title in Saudi Arabia on February 22, according to the British daily tabloid Daily Mail. However, after Mike Tyson’s controversial comeback in a fight with blogger Jake Paul, the show’s organizers decided to abandon the idea of involving Klychko. They are afraid that the fight might not meet expectations and damage the reputation of boxing.

Despite Klychko’s excellent physical condition, who is actively training and is involved in the military operations in Ukraine, the organizers will not take any risks. Now there are three candidates for the fight with Dubois: Joseph Parker from New Zealand, Chinese knockout artist Zhilei Zhang, and undefeated German Agit Kabayel.

All three contenders have already been in the spotlight of the organizers. Zhang and Kabayel even planned to meet each other on the undercard of the Riyadh fight. If one of them is chosen for the main event against Dubois, the other may face Joseph Parker to determine the mandatory challenger for the IBF title.

Volodymyr Klychko, known for his boxing achievements, remains one of the biggest figures in sports. His Olympic gold medal, 64 victories in 69 fights, and record for the longest reign as heavyweight champion have made him a legend.

After retiring in 2015, he returned only once. In 2017, he lost to Anthony Joshua in an epic fight at Wembley Stadium.

Recently, Volodymyr has revisited the idea of a comeback, aiming to break George Foreman’s record, as reported by Daily Mail. On November 5, 1994, George, at the age of 45, defeated Michael Moore in the 10th round by knockout.

Given the interest in legendary comebacks, the organizers are still looking for a formula that would combine sporting intrigue and commercial success. The tournament in Saudi Arabia is set to become a major event in the boxing world in 2025, and fans are expecting a great fight regardless of who Dubois will eventually face.