By Allan Fox: IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (57-3, 50 KO’s) will likely be facing #2 IBF contender Tony Thompson in a rematch on July 7th, according to ESPN. Wladimir already wiped out four years ago by an 11th round TKO victory in 2008, but Thompson has fought his way back to become Wladimir’s IBF mandatory challenger by beating five consecutive opponents to get his second shot.

Thompson defeated Maurice Harris by a 3rd round TKO last year in May to earn the second engagement with Wladimir. Incidentally, that was the last time the 40-year-old Thompson has fought. That’s not good, because by the time he steps into the ring against Wladimir on July 7th, if the fight does take place on that date, Thompson will have been out of the ring for 14 months. That’s not a small piece of time when you’re an aging heavyweight like Thompson. Ideally, for an older fighter you’d like to see them fighting at least three times a year possibly even more. Thompson should be fighting four times a year to stay sharp because you got to keep the joints from stiffening up from inactivity when you creep over 40.

Wladimir took his time in beating Thompson in 2008. Like now, Wladimir did a lot of hugging and jabbing. It was a pretty boring fight to watch but Wladimir got the job done and took Thompson out in the 11th after hurting him by accident by leaning on him in a clinch and then falling down on top of him. As soon as Thompson got up, he was limping around the ring. Wladimir then tore into him and got the quick stoppage.

Thompson is a rematch that Wladimir would rather not bother with, but he’s got little choice because he’s the mandatory challenger. The good news it that Wladimir blow him away no problem. The bad news is it’s going to waste another one of Wladimir’s title defenses. He just finished blowing away Jean Marc Mormeck in an option defense and now he’s got another 40-year-old in his mandatory defense, which is really just like an optional defense.