Anthony Joshua is set to fight Jarrell Miller in June after Dillian Whyte confirmed negotiations over an all-British clash are ‘dead’.
Three offers were made to Whyte, which are understood to have peaked in excess of £5million, but with the failure of those talks, Joshua will almost certainly fight Miller at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 1 or June 8.
Whyte said: ‘The Joshua fight’s dead. Sometimes things break down. There are lots of ins and outs but we move on.
‘I am in a good position – I have options. I’ll hopefully fight Dominic Breazeale, Alexandar Povetkin or Luis Ortiz at the 02 on April 20. Breazeale’s my preference, he is WBC mandatory challenger.’
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed it is now ‘likely’ that the Miller fight will be finalised. He admitted: ‘It looks like AJ against Jarrell Miller in the summer in New York.’
Whyte has followed Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury in refusing the terms offered to fight Joshua. He is expected now to meet Breazeale in a final championship eliminator.
Joshua had initially prioritised a fight against WBC champion Deontay Wilder with Tyson Fury his second choice.
With that pair in talks over their rematch, Whyte was named as the next best option, though Miller has been the major frontrunner over recent weeks.
‘Dillian believes he can improve his value with another spectacular win and someone like Breazeale should give him the chance to prove it,’ Hearn added.
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‘Miller is lesser known but as a big punching and undefeated New Yorker he will open a gateway for Joshua to the American market and wider recognition.’ Confirmation of the bout is expected this week.