Jay Deas, co-manager and trainer of WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, makes it clear that his side of the fence did everything possible to make a unification with IBF, IBO, WBA world champion Anthony Joshua.

The two sides had been negotiating for several months, but their talks fell apart after the WBA gave Joshua only 24 hours to reach a deal with mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin.

Joshua's handlers first offered a guaranteed deal of $50 million to make the fight happen.

Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, submitted a counter-offer, because his boxer was determined to fight in the UK.

Wilder then agreed to take the fight in the UK - and a contract was issued.

There are conflicting claims over what transpired next.

Hearn is claiming that Wilder and his handlers were taking too long to sign, while Wilder's management claim there were crucial details missing from the contract and Hearn was being responsive to provide the lacking details.

"There is no question that Deontay bent over backwards, every way you can bend over, to make the fight," Deas said to Daily Mail.

"They offered us a much, much lower fee — and a flat fee not a percentage — and wanted the fight in England not America, and delayed in answering our questions – everything you can do not to fight, seemed like it was done. Whereas we offered the biggest purse in heavyweight boxing history as a guarantee, plus a percentage, and they didn't take it.'

"My fear is that it becomes the Lennox Lewis-Riddick Bowe of its day and it's a fight that everyone wants but never happens. That's why we were doing everything we could to make the fight happen. That's why Deontay took well below market value because he wants to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world."