Eddie Hearn not sure Whyte vs Joshua will take place due to Whyte's massive pay demands

Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua's promoter and former heavyweight champion, does not think he will be able to pay Dillian Whyte the amount demanded for a potential rematch.

Joshua won by knockout in seven rounds during their first encounter in 2015.

The two boxers were seriously considering having a rematch in 2019. According to Hearn and Joshua, Whyte's excessive demands for payment caused the negotiations to break down.

Joshua's return in August is a planned springboard for a potential showdown with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder on a December date in Saudi Arabia.

“So we spoke last night to [Whyte's] team and this morning," Hearn told IFL TV. "We made an offer, and they felt that offer was unacceptable. We may be too far out on the money to make that fight. We’re looking at two other opponents for August 12. The key for us, if we can’t make the Deontay Wilder fight it’s not that it has to be Dillian. AJ wants it, that’s the fight AJ wanted."

"If we’ve got the Wilder fight done, we can fight someone else from the top 15 on August 12. We still want a decent, proper fight to prepare yourself for Deontay Wilder. But if we can’t get the Wilder fight done, then we need a much bigger fight on August 12, or we look at Tyson Fury in September.

"But I believe, and Frank spoke to the guys at Skills Challenge last night, that we’re going to get that fight made with Wilder. “So once we do that August 12th, if we can’t make a Dillian Whyte fight, then we take someone else in the top 15. AJ’s desire is to fight Dillian Whyte."

Although Joshua and Hearn would want to face Whyte in August, Hearn acknowledges that there isn't much time left to book the bout and isn't certain of getting a deal with Whyte on the money.