Veteran promoter Frank Warren does not expect a potential clash between heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder to come off.

For the last few weeks, the battle of former champions was being negotiated to take place on a January date in Saudi Arabia. 

Because of unexpected changes in Saudi Arabia, with respect to the management group who run boxing, a fight between Joshua and Wilder is now in limbo.

Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, is already exploring other scenarios where his boxer would face an alternative opponent. There are also scenarios being pursued where Joshua-Wilder takes place in another location.

Warren would like to see Joshua collide with Daniel Dubois, who last month suffered a stoppage loss at the hands of unified world champion Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian boxer also holds two wins over Joshua.

"The Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua situation, I know their people had conversations and thought that it would happen, but I never thought it would happen, and it's not," Warren told IFL TV.

"The problem is, the amount of money they felt they were going to get paid or they heard they were going to get paid, they're not going to achieve that anywhere. That's not going to happen. What we're hearing from Matchroom is every other week or every two weeks, they were going to announce it. We are now hitting mid-September. It ain't going to happen. 

"I'll tell you a good fight if that doesn't happen. You know what would be a good fight in the UK and people would buy tickets to watch it and we'll see who is the biggest puncher and who has got the biggest heart? Him [Joshua] and Daniel Dubois. That would sell out anywhere. Before you start your hate, that would determine who has got the biggest heart, who would grit their teeth. You can't say it's not going to sell. It would sell. It's a big fight."