Reports are emerging Wladimir Klitschko may return from retirement for a showdown with British heavyweight Dillian Whyte.Klitschko holds the record for the longest combined world championship reign in heavyweight history at 4,383 days; the most wins in world title bouts in the modern heavyweight history at 25; the most wins in unified title bouts and the longest unified championship reign in professional boxing history at 15 title bouts and 14 consecutive defenses respectively.The former world champion quit the sport in 2017 after a spectacular loss to Anthony Joshua at Wembley, which also followed a defeat at the hands of Tyson Fury - the first time he had suffered back-to-back losses.But Steve Bunce, a boxing journalist, claims that we may not have seen the last of the Ukrainian in the ring.Speaking on his BBC 5 Live Boxing Podcast, claims that Klitschko is on his way back to fight a British heavyweight, and has heard whispers Whyte is his most likely opponent.He was hesitant to give too much detail on the murmurings, before revealing; “I’m hearing all sorts of stuff about a fight that might be… can I drop it?”“Wladimir Klitschko’s coming back, he’s gonna fight again and I’m hearing him linked with a big British heavyweight.“It’s not Fury and it’s not Joshua, and I’m hearing that could be the fight that we see there [April 13 at Wembley].”

If those whispers do in fact turn into serious talks, it will certainly catch many boxing fans out by surprise.

Initially, it looked like Whyte would be facing Anthony Joshua in a rematch at Wembley in April, having recently beaten Dereck Chisora just before Christmas.

The 30-year-old has been trying to land himself a world title shot for nearly a year now but with Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury all trying to settle their own rivalries, it has been difficult for the Body Snatcher to get his foot in the door.

But it is hard to imagine him turning down the opportunity to face a genuine legend of the sport in Klitschko in the meantime.