Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, makes it clear that his fighter is not to blame for the fallout in the recent negotiations to make a deal with WBC champion Deontay Wilder.

The two sides were unable to reach an agreement for a September date.

Now Joshua will take on mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin on September 22nd at Wembley in London.

Hearn says his boxer was more than happy to fight Wilder in the fall - but the British promoter says Wilder was refusing to sign an agreement which guaranteed him $15 million.

"The reason why we're not getting Wilder is he refused to sign the contract on the terms he agreed," Hearn said to Brian Campbell of CBS Sports.

"If we didn't want the fight, we wouldn't have ever sent him a contract. I wouldn't have spent four months traveling around and wasting my time with late-night phone calls to agree on terms. We agreed on terms and we sent them a contract, but they didn't send it back, they didn't even send any comments back."

Hearn explains that he's offered Wilder the same terms for a date of April 13, also at Wembley.

The issue with giving Wilder more money, according to Hearn, is Wilder's lack of profile in the United States.

"Anthony Joshua's profile is going to continue to grow and Wilder's is not, so I feel like we're quite generous offering the same terms for the April fight," Hearn said.

"Let's not get into that now. They've got the contract, they can come back on the points. If they sign it, the fight is on but 50/50 is certainly not happening.

"I like Deontay Wilder. They are both really good for the sport. I just wish Wilder was bigger over here. He deserves to be bigger. He's a great fighter, he talks great and he's entertaining, but no one knows who he is and he's the world heavyweight champion. You shouldn't be able to walk down any street in America without being recognized."