As reported earlier on BoxingScene.com, the WBC heavyweight title rematch between champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is off for now.
The two fought to a controversial draw in December and were negotiating a rematch.
However, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said on Tuesday he received confirmation from Fury that he would look elsewhere for his next bout.
"Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury is officially not happening next," Sulaiman tweeted.
"The WBC Boxing has received communications as our process, and while WBC Champion Wilder confirmed its willingness to fight the rematch, Fury will take on another fight with expectations to do rematch at a later date."
Negotiations seemed to be progressing for the second bout before Fury announced a new co-promotional deal with Top Rank and ESPN - direct competitiors of Al Haymon's PBC and Showtime, who Deontay Wilder is aligned with.
Top Rank CEO's Bob Arum, believes that a rematch will be even bigger if both boxers do interim fights.
“We envision this [rematch] can reach 1 to 2 million homes. The only way to do that is to allow the general sports fan to really get to know these guys,” Arum said to the Los Angeles Times.
“If that takes each of them fighting another opponent first, then rolling them into a September fight, the money on the table then would be more than they can conceive of … that’s the way I look at it.”
Wilder is now expected to take on Dominic Breazeale, who is the next mandatory WBC challenger. Breazeale was ordered to face Dillian Whyte in a final eliminator for the WBC interim-title, but now can bypass Whyte for a direct crack at Wilder.
Anthony Joshua, who holds the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight belts, will take on Jarrell Miller in June in New York.