US heavyweight WBC boxing champion Deontay Wilder has blasted IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight fighter Anthony Joshua and his team after news broke earlier today that their much anticipated unification bout was off the table.
Joshua was given a 24-hour deadline to sign a deal to fight Russian fighter Alexander Povetkin or else he will be stripped of his WBA title.
"Today the WBA requested an answer from Anthony Joshua's team regarding his fight with the mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin," WBA president Gilberto Mendoza said in a statement.
"The WBA have allowed over a month extension to negotiations with Povetkin and also ongoing discussions with Deontay Wilder.
"It appears the Wilder team have not returned the contract for the fight and therefore we are requesting a date for the Joshua versus Povetkin fight with immediate effect."
Wilder took to social media to slam Joshua and his team, attacking Joshua with distasteful comments and said they were never interested in a unification bout.
"Had the world waiting for 3 months, playing games, just for this moment. You're not a true champion, you're just a weak minded coward that's holding hard metal," Wilder wrote on Twitter.
"All they had to do is say they were scared to fight. Period. But instead they made themselves look like what they are, not stand up guys. I'm so happy it's over now. I've done my part, the world seen that, so stay in England."
Joshua, 28, has a record of 21 wins with 20 KOs, he won a world title in 2016 and has made five defences. Joshua also went the distance with Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker in April and won by unanimous decision to clinch the WBO heavyweight title.
The 32-year-old American Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) won his WBC belt in 2015 and has defended it seven times.
SHARE ME