Deontay Wilder Unloads On Anthony Joshua, Hearn As Fight Seemingly Called Off

World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was not pleased with Anthony Joshua and his camp as their huge title unification clash is now seemingly dead.

Earlier this month, Wilder agreed to Joshua's terms for a fight in the United Kingdom to take place later this year where the winner would not only remain unbeaten but also become the first heavyweight to hold all four major titles.

However, a contract still needed to be signed as despite differing stories as to which side was holding up the deal, Wilder's co-manager Shelly Finkel revealed on Monday they will be sending the contract back to Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn later this week as it looked like things would be finalized soon.

But, later in the day, the World Boxing Association (WBA) ordered Joshua to agree to a fight with his mandatory opponent Alexander Povetkin within 24 hours, putting a delay to potentially the most lucrative boxing match-up today.

"Today the WBA requested an answer from Anthony Joshua's team regarding his fight with the mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin," WBA president Gilberto Mendoza said as per Sky Sports. "The WBA have allowed over a month extension to negotiations with Povetkin and also ongoing discussions with Deontay Wilder."

"It appears the Wilder team have not returned the contract for the fight and therefore we are requesting a date for the Joshua versus Povetkin fight with immediate effect."

Wilder would then proceed to go on an expletive-laden rant on Twitter against both Joshua and Hearn, claiming they held up the deal for months and led the boxing fans on.

Hearn would take to Twitter, reiterating that Wilder's $50 million offer was never legitimate before retorting to the American that he never responded to their contract, let alone sign it.

"I think they [WBA] have just said 'enough is enough, we need to know what you're doing, you're mandated to fight Alexander Povetkin' — and I think Povetkin's people are getting extremely restless as well," Hearn later told Sky Sports.

"They have been waiting and, to be fair to them, they have been patient, but Mendoza has clearly decided enough is enough and we've got to move."

Like Wilder though, Finkel was also not pleased and hit out at Hearn once again, claiming him and Joshua were the ones who did not want to take the fight, especially after their initial terms were all agreed to.

"The fact is they didn’t want this fight," Finkel told World Boxing News. "He asked for $50 million, never thinking we’d come up with it. When we came up with it, he said 'I don’t want to fight in the United States, I’ll take it for less in the UK.' He sent us a bulls--t offer thinking we’ll never take it...and we took it."

"Then they said, 'what do we do now? Let’s send them a contract.' Except, the contract doesn’t have when the fight will be or where it will be. But today I get a letter saying 'we’re not going to fight you next, but we’ll fight you the fight after that...and it will be April 13th at Wembley Stadium.' So basically, he can tell me next year, but he can’t tell me a date for this year."

"I never said to Eddie Hearn I would be sending back comments, I wrote to him saying I’m sending back the contract. And he knows the contract would have been signed. That’s why today, and all of a sudden, the WBA have turned around and given 24 hours," Finkel added.

Povetkin most recently defeated David Price in March to become Joshua's mandatory opponent, taking his record to 34 wins in 35 fights with his only loss coming in 2005 to Wladimir Klitschko. Wilder meanwhile, could defend his title against Dominic Breazeale next.