Sources close to the situation have just informed us that female boxing sensation Laila Ali is looking forward to returning to the ring some time early next year. Ali, who just gave birth to her first child in August, will resume training in 2009 and will be looking to put on the biggest fights possible in women's boxing. "Only the big fights," a source close to Ali remarked.
One has to wonder if long-time rival Anne Wolfe (24-1, 16 KOs), who also retired from boxing to persue a career as a trainer, will factor into Ali's definition of "big fights". Wolfe, along with Vonda Ward (23-1, 17 KOs), Leatitia Robinson (15-0, 9 KOs) and Natascha Ragosina (18-0, 11 KOs), have claimed in interviews that they have challenged Ali on several occassions in the past, but she has always found ways to avoid them. Some fans have expressed disappointment in Ali's failure to fight the top contenders over the years. Apparently, the fire still burns in Ali and perhaps the fans will get a chance to see her in the type of big fights that could resurrect women's boxing.