Talk of a return to the ring for former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has resurfaced after the Ukrainian was pictured alongside promoter Alex Krassyuk.

Klitschko is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of the modern era. The Ukrainian reigned over boxing’s glamour division throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, making 18 successful world title defences during his second reign before hanging up the gloves after losses to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He retired with a professional record of 64 wins, 53 by knockout, and five defeats.

The photograph with Krassyuk – captioned “something big is coming” – has inevitably reignited speculation over Klitschko’s future, with the 50-year-old repeatedly linked to a comeback since retiring in 2017.

Should he do so, he has made it clear that George Foreman’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion in history would be the target, and countryman Oleksandr Usyk vacating his three world titles has made that more realistic.

Speaking to Playbook Boxing, Spencer Brown, manager of new WBC champion Agit Kabayel, suggested a fight between the pair would be ‘historic’.

“I think there are a couple of fights out there for Klitschko. I think number one would be Agit Kabayel in Germany. Could you imagine that? Fighting for a WBC world title, which he held for a long time? It would be a historical fight and it would be huge. You wouldn’t have a stadium big enough to fill that in Germany … That would be the oldest fighter ever to try and regain his title, wouldn’t it?”

Having been upgraded to full WBC champion last month after Usyk vacated the belt, Kabayel is currently looking to secure his first voluntary defence, with Jarrell Miller a potential challenger.

Given the WBC’s history of granting former champions with ‘legendary status’ comeback title shots despite not being actively ranked – Manny Pacquiao the most recent example – the Ukrainian may well be granted the opportunity if he pursues it.

Brown also mentioned another of his fighters, Tyson Fury, as a possible opponent should Klitschko decide to return, reigniting their 2015 rivalry and delivering on a rematch that never happened.

It’s time for VikingsTerritory’s weekly batch of Nopedy Nopes, which are Vikings-themed things that did not work out, horrible takes, or items that have emerged as total falsehoods.

The series has spanned over two years — because the internet’s outrageousness never quits.

These are this week’s Nopedy Nopes.

The Kyler Murray Gaming Rumor Gets Another Reality Check

The Nopedy Nope: Kyler Murray has a video game problem.

Cardinals tight end Trey McBride played with Murray for four years in Arizona. He knows the guy.

Bussin’ with the Boys hosts asked McBride about Murray’s alleged ardor for Call of Duty, and he replied, “It was never really a thing. He never talked about playing video games, but every single week he was in the media…he never talked about gaming or anything. I think they were just finding any stat to get on him.”

McBride added about Murray’s on-the-field tools, “Kyler’s not the tallest guy. He’s a baseball guy, so he throws from every different arm angle. He’s scrambling around so he’s a very different quarterback than I’ve played with. It was cool, we had a lot of success together.”

If McBride ran around with Murray for four years, and Murray never mentioned video games, Murray’s so-called obsession is likely entirely false.

The Verdict: Unsurprisingly, Murray’s career is not affected by excessive video game consumption.

The Nopedy Nope: Ed Ingram flunking out of the league after the Vikings traded him.

The Vikings traded Ingram to Houston in March 2025, and he’s just all smiles these days, now existing on the Texans’ roster as one of the NFL’s best guards, according to Pro Football Focus.

Ingram spoke to a new station in Houston this week, KPRC2, and mentioned the Texans: “What better place for me to be than Houston? I came here, I excelled. Shout out to Cole Popovich. He never let me get complacent, and he always challenged me.”

“Personally, I’ve always thought I’m a great player. All I need is the right person to help me. Coming here was probably the best thing to ever happen to me in my career, coming here and having a coach.”

Vikings fans were actually happy when Minnesota traded Ingram. Tables have turned.

Ingram continued, “Pretty much take me under his wing and kind of hone in my skills, because the skills were there. It just needed to be honed in and just controlled a little bit. It has helped me out tremendously.”

“I love Houston, I love this team. It’s just like an energy you feel just walking into the building with this team. The Houston Texans, it’s a different feeling. Everybody’s close, tight-knit. We all are in this together.”

The Verdict: Ingram was unlocked in Houston, unlike Minnesota, where he was mediocre. He’s thrilled to be off the Vikings’ roster.

The Nopedy Nope: Trading Jonathan Greenard was smart.

ESPN’s Seth Walder sized up every team’s offseason this week, outlining moves he enjoyed and disliked. For the Vikings, he admonished the Greenard trade.

Walder explained his mindset: “Move I disliked: Trading Edge Jonathan Greenard for two third-round picks. During the draft, the Vikings dealt Greenard, one of their best players, to the Eagles in exchange for two third-round picks.”

“I don’t think it was worth it, especially in the current trade environment for high-end players. Despite only three sacks in 12 games last season, Greenard’s 23.2% pass rush win rate at edge would have ranked fourth at the position had he qualified.”

It’s worth noting that he championed the Kyler Murray signing: “The best thing about the Vikings’ offseason is them signing Murray to a veterans minimum deal, which was possible due to his offsets from his contract with the Cardinals. It was a boon for Minnesota.”

“Murray’s services would be worth many millions more on the free market, and he provides an answer at quarterback in the wake of J.J. McCarthy’s rough 2025 season.”

Greenard secured a lucrative contract in Philadelphia, which is not unexpected for a top-tier EDGE.

The primary hurdle for the Vikings was the financial commitment. A four-year, $100 million contract (or a similar figure) exceeded what the Vikings were initially willing to spend. Heading into the 2026 offseason, Minnesota prioritized judicious cap management and value-driven acquisitions. They largely avoided significant expenditures unless the deal was exceptionally favorable, as was the case with Kyler Murray, but not with Greenard.

While the Eagles could apparently accommodate such an expense, it was not feasible for Minnesota. So, the Vikings pursued a different strategy, acquiring James Pierre (CB), Ryan Van Demark (OT), and Jauan Jennings (WR) in free agency for considerably less. Jennings’s $8 million deal indicates that Minnesota wasn’t entirely frugal, but they certainly weren’t splurging.

Greenard’s 2025 statistics also complicated matters. Three sacks for an average of $25 million per year, even if market-driven, is head-scratching.

The Verdict: On trading Greenard, ESPN said “nopedy nope.”

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

The AL and NL squads, including starters, were unveiled Saturday night ahead of the July 14 Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia

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Reigning and undisputed ONE women’s atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues of Brazil escaped the jaws of defeat by the skin of her teeth, and did just enough to retain her gold against atomweight kickboxing titleholder ‘The Queen’ Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom.

Rodrigues turned in a gutsy performance, getting just past Phetjeeja behind an aggressive, powerful offense that kept the Thai fighter on the defensive in the final frame of their five-round war at The Inner Circle 19.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Rodrigues said she would welcome an immediate rematch with Phetjeeja, out of respect for the Thai dynamo.

The mom-champ told the world’s largest martial arts organization:

“We’re always ready, and we’re going to get better and better. Thank you so much for the fight. I have so much respect for you and your story. It was a pleasure to share the ring with Phetjeeja. See you soon. We work for the company. Whatever they give us, we’ll take. I promise I will only get better and better.”

The Inner Circle 19 was broadcast live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 19. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all of the action via replay on-demand via live.onefc.com for a small monthly subscription.

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues may shift her focus on a third sport

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues has conquered the world of Muay Thai. But there’s one goal that has always been on her mind, to make the transition to mixed martial arts.

Rodrigues admits that MMA has long been on her radar and that it may be next for her on the global stage of ONE Championship.

The Brazilian superstar said:

“I’m already training MMA, and I’m planning to make the move. If everything goes well, my next fight will be in MMA. For sure, I want the MMA belt.”

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ next fight.