WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) is pushing very hard to land an early 2018 unification with IBF, IBO, WBA world champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs).
Their contest has quickly become one of the biggest fights in the sport - and some consider it the biggest fight in boxing.
Wilder was in action last Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where he blasted out Bermane Stiverne in the first round of their mandatory rematch.
After the fight, it was revealed by Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, that his boxer felt Wilder was not big enough to win their potential unification.
Joshua, who weighed around 254-pounds for last month's fight with Carlos Takam, felt the 220-pound Wilder would get "eaten" up if their fought.
Wilder does not believe Joshua actually said that. He says that statement was created by Hearn himself.
In fact, Wilder does not believe anything unless he hears it come from Joshua himself.
"After my fight, Eddie Hearn said that Joshua came out with a text message telling him: ‘I’m going to eat Wilder.’ I don’t believe that. I believe that’s Eddie Hearn’s words. I don’t believe nothing Eddie says when it comes to Joshua, because as a champion, and as a fan of boxing who wants to hear the words of a fellow champion, every time I hear something that comes out, I never hear Joshua saying it," Wilder said to The42.
Wilder also questions Hearn's reluctance to make the fight in the first quarter of next year. Hearn would prefer to make that contest next summer, after both boxers have made at least one more defense to further build up the contest.
"People say I haven’t fought nothing but bums, they say I ran, they say I haven’t done nothing. Hearn said Joshua would knock me out in three. So if that’s the case, if that’s facts, then why are you so hesitant to make the date?," Wilder said.