ANTHONY JOSHUA has prioritised a unification fight with Joseph Parker next, according to Deontay Wilder.
Joshua successfully defended his IBF and WBA world heavyweight titles last month, stopping late replacement Carlos Takam in the 10th round.
His promoter Eddie Hearn quickly outlined their plans to unify the division by winning the WBO and WBC belts in 2018 and last month claimed to be travelling to the US for preliminary meetings with Wilder’s representatives.
However, Wilder now claims Joshua and Hearn are more interested in facing WBO holder Joseph Parker.
“I don’t think they are trying to make a negotiation at this point,” Wilder told ESPN.
“I think they are trying to seek Parker. They got him on his agenda.
“[He is] their top priority which is fine. If they don’t want to fight at this time, that it is ok.
“We’re not [going to] chase [anybody]. I’m not chasing Joshua.
“If Joshua [doesn’t] want to fight, then that’s fine.
“If they want to have one fight apiece, and fight me next, that is fine.
“It is a great fight, it is one of the biggest fights in the world and everyone wants it.”
But Joshua is unlikely to rise to the bait, having recently criticised both Parker and Wilder for conducting their negotiations in public.
“I just don’t know where Parker and Wilder’s mindsets are and what they want,” Joshua told Sky Sports.
“I just think they have poor PR management.
“The situation with Parker, we have presented an offer to them, and we’ll patiently wait.
“Nothing’s been agreed and it’s the same situation with Tyson Fury.
“I want to be the undisputed champion of the world, and to do that I must fight Wilder and Parker.
“With Wilder – who said I’m running scared – the same situation, and we’ve been talking with his team.
“We staged a fight with one of the all-time greats, Wladimir Klitschko, and staged a fantastic fight at Wembley, where we put our egos and demands to one side.”
Source:www.express.co.uk