The boxing legend is rumoured to be considering a return to the ring in a bid to become the oldest-ever heavyweight world champion but says he will not be required to don the gloves again if his countryman beats Fury in their title fight rematch on Saturday (21.12.24).

Klitschko told Sky Sports: "Oleksandr Usyk is going to keep me in retirement.

"It's not going to happen okay. I'm going to stay in retirement. He's going to keep me in retirement."

Klitschko hasn't fought since losing to Anthony Joshua in 2017 and insists that his fellow Ukrainian Usyk being world champion means that that is unlikely to change.

He recalled: "I remember Oleksandr called me at the end of March of this year, on my birthday and he said: 'Champ, I wish you happy birthday and I wish that your dream to become the oldest champion of the world will come true.'

"I said: 'Oleksandr what are you talking about, your fight is going to come up, you're in preparation, keep me in retirement.'

"So he promised: 'I'm going to do it, I'm going to keep it [the championship] but I wish you that.'"

Klitschko believes that "strategy" and "technique" will allow his countryman to retain his world titles.

He said: "Oleksandr is going to repeat history. It's going to be déjà vu. So repetition. That's actually what is happening. I was here for the first fight. It just feels the same and it looks the same and is the same.

"It's all about strategy. It's all about technique."