ANTHONY JOSHUA and Tyson Fury’s super-show shambles now hinges on American UFC bloke Dana White’s involvement.
The infuriating pair have agreed to finally fight in the early hours of Saturday December 12 in Cardiff.
But they have separate and confidential contracts that are causing chaos with the planning.
Anthony Joshua’s contract categorically states that White and Saudi Arabia’s new boxing promotion Zuffa and their parent company TKO are not allowed to be part of the promotion.
But broadcasters Netflix and Saudi boxing bankroller Turki Al-Sheikh are desperate for the cagefighting kingpin to be front and centre.
White does not even hold a British boxing board of control promoter’s licence.
So the Johnny Fisher show in East London that his Zuffa brand is running this weekend has unknown mystery man Dave Lewis listed as the licenced promoter.
But Al-Sheikh and the American streamers are committed to having the brains behind the MMA brand pose for the photos and stand on the stage.
The problem that 36-year-old AJ and Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn have is that while the organisers accept that TKO and UFC are banned from being at the top table, they claim White – as a separate and individual entity – is not named or blocked on the paperwork.
So they are pushing for White to be a featured partner, as a freelancer with no ties to either annexed companies.
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FURY VS JOSHUA: ALL THE DETAILS AS BITTER RIVALS CLASH IN LONG-AWAITED BATTLE OF BRITAIN
Under the terms of the agreement, long-time Fury promoter Frank Warren is not allowed to be the leader, as he has a clear allegiance to the 38-year-old Gypsy King.
And because Hearn has guided AJ’s professional career from day one, Fury understandably has a clause that prevents the Essex mogul from leading proceedings.
White – who has had utterly no involvement in either brilliant Brit’s career – looks like the perfect patsy to be the pseudo promoter.
But he has cosied up to Fury, hosting him at the UFC’s White House event in June and helping get his US visa reinstated, following a ban, so Joshua would have every right to fear bias, even if there wasn’t any.
Joshua has already won one battle, before the first bell, by forcing the planners to stick to the April contract he signed that stipulated the all-English fight must happen in Britain.
White had been telling the MMA media that he had done the deal for the show to take place in November at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden arena.
But Joshua stood firm on the smallprint that he stuck his signature on and successfully wrestled the bout back to Blighty.
SunSport understands that, as of Saturday morning – when Fury accused of of threatening to pull out of the fight – Al-Sheikh was sticking to his guns and pushing for Joshua to swallow the structure of the event.
But Joshua and his team believe they can point to a contract breach, if they can prove that White categorically cannot be involved in the proceedings – stooge or not.
One party is going to have to back down and accept defeat.
And even then another famous ringmaster will have to run the circus that both warring parties will have to agree on.
A source close to the painfully frustrating cock-up described the ongoing rows as “a clusterf***”.
Who can front the fight?
The row over the contract could derail the fight – unless one side backs down.
But who are the options when it comes to finding a ringmaster to front the bout?
SunSport’s boxing writer Wally Downes take a serious look at the options…
Al-Sheikh has made the the fight and signed off on the purses, using it to hype his Ring magazine.
Saudi events firm Sela – former Newcastle shirt sponsors – are in charge of delivering the show’s complicated logistics.
The named promoter could be anyone with a licence, from a small-hall spiv in Newcastle to an unknown chancer from Penzance.
But for the aesthetics, the razzamatazz, they want a flashy frontman.
Warren has the Saville Row suits, the experience and the hall-of-fame status.
Hearn is the rent-a-mouth social media sensation who can reel off fights and fighters like Scatman John.
But with both fellas sidelined for the biggest payday of their careers, someone else has to be the stooge.
Hollywood hero Jason Statham sits ringside at some fights and is beloved by Al-Sheikh, making Oleksandr Usyk vs kickboxer Rico Verhoeven was infamously his idea.
Maybe the Lock Stock legend could be a boxing promoter in his next role?
Zippo runs a good circus but he’s probably fully booked for Christmas.
Triple H and Vince McMahon are wrestling’s most famous bosses, maybe they can pose for a bit of pugilism.
Stormzy was in Las Vegas for Conor Benn’s battering at the heavy hands of Ryan Garcia, could this be his sort of tune?
That’s where we are at. It’s silly season. Style over substance, financial brawn over any brains.
If this fight collapses, the main players will all deserve their share of the blame.