WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) has insisted that he is “ready now” to fight IBF, IBO, WBA champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs), and pleaded with his rival not to delay a potential meeting.

BoxingScene.com reported on Thursday, that negotiations have begun with Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, sitting down in New York with Al Haymon and Shelly Finkel - who are the management of Wilder.

Wilder is unbeaten in 39 after defending his WBC belt against Bermane Stiverne last weekend, a week after IBF champion Joshua extended his record to 20-0 by beating Carlos Takam. They have been 12 rounds just once combined; when Wilder won his world title in his first fight with Stiverne.

Wilder has no interest in facing Dillian Whyte, the opponent that Hearn offered up for February date in place of Joshua.

"We have them in a corner and we are going to smoke them out, and make them fight us," Wilder told Sky Sports News.

"I don't want to hear about Joseph Parker. Everybody wants Wilder vs Joshua right now, why wait? Anything could happen to either of us, that's life. You'll make the people miss out on the biggest fight in the world. Anything I say, the response is from Eddie Hearn, not Joshua. My message is to Joshua: I am ready.

"Eddie is scared of this fight. He wanted me to fight Dillian Whyte instead of Joshua. I would have no problem fighting a peasant like Dillian Whyte but I want Joshua at the other end of the bridge, when I cross it."

Joshua claimed he would "eat" Wilder last weekend, according to Hearn, after the WBC champ weighed in around 220-pounds last Friday for Stiverne, while Joshua recently weighed in closer to 254 for Takam.

But Wilder warned that Joshua's advantage in weight will not help him in the fight.

"See my performance with [Stiverne] who was 255-pounds? How heavy was Joshua in his last fight? 254-pounds. Did you see how easy it was to put 255lbs on the ground?," Wilder said.

"Let me show you what the greatest heavyweight in the world looks like. No more excuses. The location is the least of the problems. I've reigned the longest, I hit the hardest, I'm the toughest, I'm the meanest, I'm agile, I'm mobile, I'm hostile, I've got the heart of the lion. I am the king and, if I'm not, then please show me who is."