By the time Osleys Iglesias returns, it will end 10 months of inactivity for the 27-year-old super middleweight contender at a time where his momentum had been unexpectedly stalled with champion Canelo Alvarez seeking megafights.

Canelo, who outpointed former IBF titlist William Scull on May 3 to regain undisputed status before an eagerly anticipated Terence Crawford duel as two pound-for-pound stars meet Sept. 13 at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.

Ranked No. 3 at 168 pounds by The Ring, Iglesias took to social media overnight with a message to share having worked up a sweat after his second training session of the day.

The timing couldn't be more fitting, kicking off a busy month of boxing where more eyes will be on him and another impressive performance expected. Translated from Spanish, it read:

"On September 4th, I'm returning to the ring for the IBF title eliminator and mandatory challenger to Canelo. The wait wasn't my fault; in this division, they avoid me a lot and then think they're the best. God willing, his timing is perfect. I'm going all out, the tornado is back."

He was reportedly in discussions with Croatia's Luka Plantic (12-0, 9 KOs) for a WBC interim title shot in January which went cold, before the IBF ordered an eliminator with France's Kevin Lele Sadjo (25-0, 22 KOs) two months later.

British under-the-radar contender Mark Jeffers (20-1, 7 KOs) was also in the shop window and believed negotiations were all but done for a spot on next month's Ring III card in New York, though that also collapsed.

Of all three names mentioned, the Lancashire resident was the only one losing their unbeaten record as he was outpointed over ten rounds in a stay-busy contest by America's Sean Hemphill during the Callum Simpson-Ivan Zucco undercard on June 7.

Iglesias (13-0, 12 KOs), ranked No. 3 in this month's latest IBF update, needed five rounds to dismiss then-unbeaten Petro Ivanov at Montreal Casino in Canada.

He boxed four times across the country during an active 2024 campaign and is expected to do so again in his first appearance of the year, whether that be No. 2-ranked Vladimir Shishkin (16-1, 10 KOs) as originally planned or another contender entirely.

Earlier this month, Iglesias' promoter, Camille Estephan, told The Ring of the only remaining stumbling block — negotiating a fight date — to agree terms with Shishkin and his promoter, Dmitry Salita. They wanted July, Team Shishkin preferred September and that it will be.

Cuban-American journalist Carlos Linares reported on Wednesday that Simpson (18-0, 13 KOs) could very well step into the breach, though it's unlikely Boxxer would be willing to thrust their popular ticketseller into an away trip against one of the division's most feared up-and-coming stars when the Barnsley man's stock is at its highest.

He recovered from two knockdowns to overwhelm Zucco with a 10th-round stoppage in a tussle of unbeaten contenders for European honours, before doubling down on his world title ambitions in 2026 and said fights like that will help develop that seasoning.