Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Dillian Whyte has edged closer after Whyte signed an agreement to face him on August 12.
Negotiations were initially delayed by a request from Joshua for a one-way rematch clause, but things are now clear after the clause was removed.
Sky Sports report that the agreement was reached on Sunday, July 2, with an official announcement likely to follow in the coming weeks.
If the fight does go ahead, it will continue a rivalry stretching back over a decade between two of the top fighters in the heavyweight division.
They first faced one another as amateurs in 2009, with a 20-year-old Whyte beating Joshua by unanimous decision, three years before AJ claimed Olympic gold in London.
The two-time heavyweight champion had his revenge in 2015 as he handed him the first professional loss of his career and claimed the British heavyweight title after a Round 7 knockout.
After Whyte’s fight, Joshua is expected to square off against Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia at the back end of the year.
Hearn recently confirmed the Wilder deal is close to completion and both parties are set to hold meetings in London next week to finalise the contracts.