Chris Eubank Junior will not make his first WBA Interim World Middleweight title defence at Wembley Arena next week but could be on course for a summer rematch with arch rival Billy Joe Saunders.

Eubank Jr, 25, and Saunders were due to joint headline the Frank Warren show in separate bouts on May 9 but now neither will fight.

Unbeaten Saunders, 25, inflicted Eubank’s only defeat last November in a thrilling defence of his European, British and Commonwealth belts and is the mandatory challenger for Andy Lee’s WBO world title.

But Irishman Lee has picked up a shoulder injury and will not be able to defend his title this summer so the WBO want a Eubank versus Saunders rematch for an interim belt with the winner facing the champion later in the year.

Both were withdrawn from the Wembley show yesterday and have been given 48 hours by the WBO to agree terms for a rematch.

A spokesman for promoter Frank Warren, who manages and promotes Saunders, said last night talks were ongoing for the second instalment of a fight which caught the public’s imagination last year and would again be a massive ticket seller.

If terms cannot be agreed, Saunders will instead fight another challenger approved by the governing body for the WBO world interim title while he waits for Lee to return to fitness.

Eubank Jr bounced back from his only defeat to Saunders by impressively stopping tough Russian champion Dmitry Chudinov in the 12th round of their February showdown to claim his first title and is desperate for a rematch with the Hatfield southpaw.

Eubank Jr had been preparing to fight Australian Les Sherrington.