Showtime confirms Deontay Wilder's return, Jan. 16 in Brooklyn

We'll have to wait for his mandatory title defense against Alexander Povetkin, but WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder will return to action on January 16, Showtime confirmed during tonight's ShoBox broadcast. Wilder will return at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in a Showtime-televised main event.

Wilder (35-0, 34 KO) won the WBC belt this past January, dominating Bermane Stiverne over 12 rounds, and has defended twice since then, stopping Eric Molina and Johann Duhaupas. One possible fight being discussed now would see Wilder face Vyacheslav "Czar" Glazkov in January, a step up from Molina and Duhaupas, as Glazkov is a top 10-ish heavyweight, even with some questionable victories.

Glazkov (21-0-1, 13 KO) wouldn't seem to be a big threat to Wilder on paper, but that's not because Glazkov can't fight. He's a solid boxer, but he doesn't have big power and he's looked pretty average in fights with Steve Cunningham, Tomasz Adamek, and Derric Rossy. Wilder, 30, is a monster puncher, and would have big height and reach advantages, too.

But we'll have to see if Glazkov is going to be the opponent, or if it will be someone closer to Wilder's recent opponents. Whomever he faces, a win for Wilder in January would likely set up his mandatory defense against Povetkin (30-1, 22 KO), who recently stopped Mariusz Wach in the 12th round in Russia, and has won four straight following a loss to Wladimir Klitschko in 2013. Wilder's ultimate goal, he says, is to unify all four belts. Klitschko holds the other three, and will defend them against Tyson Fury on November 28.