British heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte is not going to walk away without a fight.
He wants what he believes is an earned mandatory shot at the WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.
The World Boxing Council recently ordered Whyte to fight Luis Ortiz in a clash for a "secondary mandatory" position - while proclaiming that Dominic Breazeale would be Wilder's mandatory challenger.
According to Whyte's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, they plan to fight the WBC's recent set of orders.
Whyte has held the number 1 position in the rankings for a very long time, went through eliminators and owns the WBC silver title.
Despite all of that, Whyte was overlooked in favor of the number 2 contender - which was Breazeale.
"We're going to appeal that. [WBC president] Mauricio Sulaiman said he would talk about it this week, and maybe post a resolution," Hearn exclusively told Sky Sports.
"If [Anthony] Joshua doesn't fight Wilder, then Wilder will fight Breazeale. If Wilder fights Breazeale, he doesn't need to be the mandatory. But Wilder's team will want Breazeale to be the mandatory because there isn't much credibility in the fight. Let that fight be a voluntary, then the winner of Whyte-Ortiz is the mandatory."
According to Hearn, there is no issue in facing Ortiz - as long as the contest is sanctioned to be a mandatory fight - and not a secondary mandatory.
"We don't mind fighting Ortiz but it has to be for the mandatory, not to be the 'second mandatory' behind a guy who has never fought an eliminator and who is behind Whyte in the rankings. It's outrageous," Hearn said.
But, there is also the possibility of Whyte fighting Kubrat Pulev in an IBF final eliminator, with a purse bid scheduled next week.
And that contest has certain benefits when compared to a contest with Ortiz - because the winner would become the mandatory to Joshua.
"It's a good fight. Dillian can become IBF mandatory and that's a good place for him to be," Hearn said.
"[Promoter Kalle Sauerland] has Pulev and we're in extensive dialogue to make the fight. I don't think me and Kalle have ever been to a purse bid - usually we make a deal! Different fights have different characteristics to the deal."
