WBC champion Deontay Wilder has called out Anthony Joshua as a "cash cow" being 'milked' by his promoter Eddie Hearn.

Speaking to the BBC, Wilder has slammed Joshua, who holds the IBF and WBA belts, for not having the "confidence" to fight him, as well as claiming that his promoter Eddie Hearne is reluctant to make the fight happen.

Speaking before he fights Luis Ortiz on Saturday, Wilder told the BBC: "I don't believe Hearn wants this fight at all. We're ready on this side of the pond.Joshua is like a cow, Eddie Hearn is milking him for every dollar. There have been no negotiations at all, no deal has been offered. But the world wants to see me and Joshua get in the ring."

He also took aim at Joshua, where he stated, "I don't think Joshua has enough confidence in himself to fight me," said Wilder. "It's all on them. If he really wants it, he can make it happen. I see the Parker v Joshua fight going into the later rounds. I like Parker's movement.

"With Joshua's big frame and being muscular, that's OK to look the part but can he get out of the way of Parker's punches and maintain his stamina holding all that?"

Hearn has since responded to Wilder's comments, telling the BBC,  "It's the biggest fight in world boxing... and I always make the biggest fights possible. Anthony will fight anyone and, as we have stated a thousand times, he wants to be the undisputed champion.

"If he beats Joseph Parker then he just needs one more belt. Wilder doesn't have a promoter so is on a one-man salesman mission - get your head on Ortiz, let us deal with Parker then join us back in the real world and this fight will get made very quickly."

Stay tuned here to see if AJ responds to these claims and whether the fight materializes.