Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, is worried more and more as the days continue to pass for the scheduled clash with Andy Ruiz.
Joshua will defend his belts against Ruiz on June 1, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The fight will be the American debut for Joshua.
Ruiz stepped in on late notice after Joshua's original opponent, Jarrell Miller, was pulled from the fight after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.
A loss to Ruiz would be devastating to Joshua's career - and kill potential fights against WBC champion Deontay Wilder and undefeated Tyson Fury.
"I said to Joshua, 'keep winning, don't slip up against Ruiz Jr who has zero fear'. [Ruiz] will come in low and swing them over the top. Don't lose," Hearn told Sjy Sports.
"I'm scared of Ruiz Jr and especially of Wilder - he can punch! But don't you want those moments, a chance to be undisputed? You think we don't want it? We want it so badly. AJ needs to say: 'Now! November or December, no excuses, let's do it.'
"First things first, beat this guy on Saturday - he will get hit, go through sticky patches, then knock him out. Make Madison Square Garden explode and show these American people the best heavyweight on the planet."
Wilder, who is coming off a brutal knockout of Dominic Breazeale, will next face Luis Ortiz in a rematch on a date in September.
"Wilder is being talked into doing something that he doesn't want to do - I believe he wants to fight Joshua but he's being shown a plan for something different.," Hearn said.
"AJ should meet him face to face and ask, 'am I wasting my time here?' Go straight to the horse's mouth. Wilder has got what we want, the final piece of the jigsaw."
