It looks like Dillian Whyte's return to boxing sadly won't include an intriguing bout with the former heavyweight champion, Andy Ruiz Jr.

The pair had been circling around the idea of a fight and it certainly looked like an agreement could be made but now it seems that discussions have run headlong into a brick wall.

Unfortunately, it seems that the only blows the duo will be trading will be on social media, with both Whyte and Ruiz taking to Instagram to have a go at each other.

It was Ruiz who began the little spat, as he claimed that Whyte had, in fact, rejected a fight with him.

The American-Mexican posted a picture of Whyte looking a little worse for wear, lying on the canvas up against the rope with the caption:

"You didn't want any smoke so I moved on to the next opponent."

Suffice to say, Whyte did not take too kindly to Ruiz's jab, firing back via the same platform in a matter of hours.

Whyte posted a picture of a rather out of shape looking Ruiz, taking aim at his physique once again

"No smoke?" he wrote.

"Typical coward move from fake Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr, a blob rolling away from a big payday.

"You're all stomach and no heart. I am more Mexican than you."

Ruiz's fitness has been of major concern of late, and it was almost certainly what cost him his belts in his monumental rematch with Anthony Joshua.

With Whyte just easing his way back into the sport after a brief hiatus, a match-up between the two seemed to make a lot of sense.

However, talks ran aground and now both parties are looking elsewhere.

With promoter Eddie Hearn looking to finalise Whyte's 2020 calendar, there is a possibility that they could turn to the mighty Russian that is Alexander Povetkin.

The former Olympic and heavyweight champion enjoyed a remarkable run after losing to the legendary Wladimir Klitschko before being stopped dead in his tracks by Joshua in 2018.

N ow, he will be looking to close out his career with some big paydays and Whyte could be the perfect option.