Eddie Hearn has claimed Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte will not face off against one another, despite being ordered to by the World Boxing Council.

Whyte, the fourth highest ranked active heavyweight by BoxRec - and top of the WBC's own rankings list - has been extremely vocal about his intention to challenge one of either Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua, for a crack at one of the sport's elusive championship belts. 

Despite his ranking within the organisation, however, the Brixton-based British fighter has been repeatedly deprived of a shot at WBC king Deontay Wilder's crown, much to the disappointment and confusion of many within the sport. 

After their controversial draw last year, Fury and Wilder were ordered to rematch by the sanctioning organisation, only for Fury to renege on the agreement, instead opting to face little-known German opponent Tom Schwarz. 

Seemingly leaving the door wide open for Whyte to then challenge Wilder, the American champion then also disappointed many, after being ordered to fight his compatriot Dominic Breazeale - a man who had previously been ordered to fight Whyte in a final eliminator, for the interim title. 

With Breazeale and Wilder now unavailable, the council have instead ordered Whyte to fight Fury in what they have promised will be a final eliminator, for a shot at the winner of the aforementioned bout, and their heavyweight title. 

The injustice of the situation on one of the sport's most willing fighters has certainly not been lost on many fans and former fighters alike, with Whyte's promoter Eddie Hearn also growing tired of the perceived favouritism and double standards from the WBC. 

"I don't want to talk too much about it because obviously it's an ongoing resolution that we're working on,' Hearn told iFL TV when asked for his thoughts. 

"Dillian Whyte was ordered to fight Dominic Breazeale, for the interim world title, with the winner facing Deontay Wilder - or the winner of Deontay Wilder and  Tyson Fury - immediately. 

"Tyson Fury pulled out of the ordered fight with Deontay Wilder, and we believed and lobbied that Dillian Whyte should now be the mandatory for the winner.

"Well he should have been the mandatory anyway!"

Whilst Whyte has already stated his desire to face Fury, as ordered by the council, Hearn voiced his doubts over such a fight ever taking place.

"I think where the Tyson Fury thing came from, they came back and said 'we could order you against Tyson Fury in a final eliminator'.

"You can order the fight but it ain't gonna happen. He's just pulled out of a Wilder fight. He's not going to take a 50/50 split against Dillian Whyte when he could have fought Wilder with a 50/50 split.

"[Whyte] He's been number one in the WBC for, somebody mentioned it the other day, 400? 500 days? So it's like, what's the hold up?"

Despite Hearn's cynicism over Fury's willingness, his reluctance to accept such a fight is unlikely to be shared by many fans of the sport. 

A potential Whyte-Fury showdown would be one of the biggest fights in recent years, and would also set up a potential all-British showdown with current IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA champion Anthony Joshua. 

Were Whyte to be successful in his pursuit of Wilder's one remaining WBC title, however, fans would be treated to the even greater prospect of an all-British heavyweight undisputed fight.