Wednesday 29 August 2018 12:35, UK
Dillian Whyte is "favourite" to face Anthony Joshua at Wembley in April, with Dereck Chisora on a three-man shortlist for the British heavyweight's next fight in December.
Joshua is currently preparing to defend his WBA 'super', IBF and WBO titles against Alexander Povetkin at the national stadium on September 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and Whyte could have earned his shot at the unified champion next year after a dramatic win over Joseph Parker in July.
Promoter Eddie Hearn insists Joshua is refusing to look past his dangerous Russian challenger, but a rematch with Whyte has emerged as the most likely option for his first world title defence of 2019 after WBC champion Deontay Wilder turned his attention to a fight with Tyson Fury.
"As it goes right now, he's [Whyte] the favourite, because Wilder won't communicate with us, or his team," Hearn said.
"At the moment, that [Wilder] fight looks impossible, because how can we get it made, if they won't reply?"
Whyte is expected to fight again at the end of the year, with a rematch against Chisora the preferred option, although Hearn is also considering Dominic Breazeale and Jarrell Miller as potential opponents.
"Out of the three, it's the fight the British public want," said Hearn.
"I think Chisora has earned the rematch, to be honest. He looked finished against [Agit] Kabayel and then he produced that performance against [Carlos] Takam from the gods. How can you deny him the opportunity of a rematch?
"What Dillian has got to decide is, if we sign that Joshua fight after the Povetkin fight for Dillian, what sort of fight does he want in between? Does he want a risk fight?
"He probably does, but I would be happy to take him to America, give him a run out over there before the April fight."
Whyte is only focusing on his next scheduled fight, despite talk of another showdown with Joshua, and would happily share the ring with Chisora, Breazeale or Miller.
Any of those three are big fights, and they are all hard fights. Any one of them, I'll be happy with.
"The AJ fight is a possibility, but at the minute it's just a possibility," Whyte told Sky Sports.
"It's not certain, there's no 'yeah it's a definite'. My next fight is a definite date, so I focus on a definite date, and wait to see what comes of the AJ fight and if it comes off.
"Any of those three are big fights, and they are all hard fights. Any one of them, I'll be happy with.
"Me and him [Chisora] went to the war. Yeah, I can understand [public demand], but everyone has to remember this is a business. We're going to wait and see whether or not it's feasible for me and for him, because sometimes money and finance get in the way.
"I would love to fight him and knock him out. We'll see."
Asked about Breazeale, Whyte added: "If he isn't fighting Wilder, or AJ, I'm the next money man down, so of course he's keen.
"When I wanted to fight him last year, he wasn't keen, was he? Now things have changed. I've become one of the bigger draws in the heavyweight division, so everyone wants to fight now."
Watch Anthony Joshua defend his world heavyweight titles against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, on September 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
