Chris Eubank Junior is expected to sign the contract to fight Billy Joe Saunders for his European Middleweight title today.

Promoter Frank Warren had planned to officially confirm the showdown yesterday at a press conference in Islington but revealed unbeaten Brighton prospect Eubank Jr had not signed the fight contract.

A frustrated Warren was ready to pull the plug on the all-British grudge match which is scheduled for the huge November 29 Excel Arena show headlined by the Tyson Fury-Dereck Chisora heavyweight clash.

But champion Saunders gave the Brighton fighter, who is managed and promoted by his father Chris senior, the former two-weight world champion, an ultimatum to sign by 5pm or he would move on.

That deadline came and went but The Argus understands talks continued into the evening and the fight will go ahead as planned.

Eubank Jr, 25, who has a 100% record of 17 wins, was not present at the press conference but tweeted last night: “Frank Warren has tried to force me into signing a contract without my lawyers being able to look at it entirely and agree on it.

“There’s no deadline or rushing when it comes to my career.

“I’ll sign once my management team has gone through and ok’d the contract completely.

“He scheduled a press conference before the contract was even looked at properly to try and rush us into signing and agreeing on terms we don’t want.”

Eubank’s trainer Ronnie Davies had been unable to shed light on whether the fight would be salvaged.

Davies said: “It’s business and I do not get involved in that side of things. Obviously, if the Eubanks do not feel it is right I stand by any decision they make.”

Warren described the situation as “farcical” and dismissed claims they had not been given enough time to deal with the contract as Eubank Jr only recently returned from training in Las Vegas.

The promoter said: “Contracts were sent out in September when young Chris was in Vegas training and their lawyer was based over here.

"For some reason Chris senior, who was on the phone to me before I came in the door here, said they did not have enough time to deal with it as they had only just got back from Vegas.

“As I said to him, we’re in the age of email and telephone and these things are very easy to deal with and I don’t understand why we are where we are.

“Last night (Wednesday) I was on the phone with our lawyer, his lawyer and again thought we had agreed something but this morning what came out this was different. Even the money was different to what we had discussed.”

British, European and Commonwealth champion Saunders, 25, said: “If he hasn’t signed by 5pm today I’m moving on. I won’t wait around for bums. I think he hasn’t got the bottle, he knows he’ll get beat. I haven’t got time to waste on him.”