Vitali Klitschko Thinking Comeback?

Every sport has participants who come back after retiring. Michael Jordan in basketball and Deion Sanders in football are two notable examples. No sport, however, has nearly as many comebacks as boxing. Former heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko, 34, appears to be the latest in a seemingly never-ending succession of "retired" fighters who resume their careers as active fighters. Klitschko, the older brother of IBF champ Wladimir Klitschko, has reportedly been working with a physiotherapist in Germany in hopes that he can overcome the assorted back and knee problems that have kept him out of the ring since stopping Danny Williams on Dec. 11, 2004. Klitschko, who failed in his recent bid to become mayor of Kiev, has remained involved in boxing during his 'retirement' by working the corner during Wladimir's bouts. Klitschko's goals in returning to the ring would seem to be holding a heavyweight belt at the same time as his brother and luring Lennox Lewis out or retirement for a rematch. The first appears more likely than the second but -this being boxing - you never know . . .

Klitschko is not alone on the comeback trail. Other fighters who are in various stages of coming back - that you may have believed were retired (primarily because they announced their retirements) - include Henry Maske (last fight in 1996), Axel Schulz (1999), Michael Moorer (2004), Corrie Sanders (2004), Ray Mercer (2005) and Acelino Freitas (2006). Check the upcoming boxing schedule for fight details.