Tyson Fury has said he received a directive "from the top" to create social media videos that put pressure on Anthony Joshua to finalise his side of the deal for their fight.
Despite signing contracts in April, negotiations had dragged on for the majority of the year, before the fight was announced late last month, with a meeting between the two British heavyweights scheduled for Dec. 11 in Cardiff.
Fury has maintained he was happy to fight on any date in any location, while Joshua insisted, per his personal contract with Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, that the fight be staged in the UK.
In the final days of negotiations, Fury was active on social media calling Joshua out and told reporters this week that a call came "from the top" to do so.
Fury did not indicate who specifically made the request.
"Whatever they [Joshua] want ... I've just give it to them. I've had to bend over backwards, I've been like putty, Play-Doh, trying to make this fight happen," Fury said. "Up until [this week], this fight wasn't happening.
"I got a call from the top saying: 'We need to go in on these now on a video and say: 'Look, come on, what's going on?' So I said: 'I'd be obliged, I'd love to.'
"I went in on them and it's sort of come to a point where there's nothing more that they could say to try and skip out of this contract.
"There's only a certain amount of moves that you can you can play before you're checkmated. I think the final hurdle has been: 'Oh, we want it in Britain or nothing.' And they thought ... 'Tyson's not going to come to Britain.'
"Why wouldn't I want to come to Britain? Okay, checkmate. Now what are you going to say?"
Fury said he has no regrets about the fight, which was set to happen several times in the last six years at a time when both men were at the peak of their powers, not happening earlier.
"I'm in this game to make money," Fury said.
"It's more money than it ever was before, plus the fact we've got the broadcasting giant Netflix streaming it, and plus the fact that Turki Alalshikh has got an open cheque book.
"You got [Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier] later on in their careers, it was a great fight and I believe this will be a great fight, too.
"Someone's chin has got to go, unfortunately."