All eyes are on Anthony Joshua as the prospect of an undisputed heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk rears its head again.
It had appeared that Fury was set to face Dillian Whyte in a mandatory title defence of his WBC belt, before Usyk would rematch Joshua for the unified WBA, WBO and IBF straps, with the winners facing one another later in the year.
But now it looks as if there is, yet again, a possible step aside deal to be worked out with Joshua and Whyte to allow Fury and Usyk to fight in the Middle East for all the gold.
Fury's promoter Bob Arum has claimed they have received an offer from the region to crown an unprecedented four-belt undisputed world champion.
"It is total chaos,” Arum told talkSPORT. “What’s happening is just promises coming out of the Middle East about doing a unified fight with Usyk and Fury, and is Dillian Whyte going to step aside.
“And people that have absolutely no contractual ties – like Frank Warren’s Queensberry and our Top Rank do – are getting involved.
“It’s a typical terrible kind of situation, but hopefully it’ll get sorted out and probably it will get sorted out with a purse bid on Friday.”
Joshua has previously insisted that while he is focused on facing Usyk, there would be a numerical offer that could see him take another deal.
He has said that the deal would not only have to be financially lucrative, but also something that would ultimately allow him to face the kind of legacy-defining opponents he wants.
"In terms of stepping aside, I don't know if that goes in line with what a morally stand for," Joshua told iFL TV last year when the idea was first floated.
"But I want to be known as one of the smartest businessmen as well.
"I want to make the smart decisions and if the money is right we would have to look at it but respect has more value than money.
"Will I take the step-aside money? If it's a smart business move, will it affect my reputation and respect?
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"Will I still get to fight the best fighters? Those are the three things I have to consider."
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn is adamant that he will be facing Usyk in their contractually obligated rematch, with an April 23 date being considered.
He has said that the deal would need to be astronomical, which could be possible with the deep pockets that the higher-ups in the Middle East have at their disposal.
"We've had their team reach out to us," Hearn confirmed to Boxing King Media last month.
Asked if it would require a seven-figure sum, Hearn responded jokingly: "Seven figures? A million? If you want to get him not to fight Oleksandr Usyk you have to times that by 40...
"I'll deal with it and when I feel there's an opportunity for Anthony and 258 [Management] we'll sit down with them and present it to them but I won't do that until it's the right opportunity."
