Wilder and Joshua were primed for heavyweight division bout but negotiations broke down again earlier with the Briton facing Russian fighter, Alexander Povetkin.
Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua
World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder, insists his status as a world-class heavyweight has nothing to do with his rivalry with Anthony Joshua and that he is focused on beating Tyson Fury in his next bout.
Wilder and Joshua were primed for heavyweight division bout but negotiations broke down again earlier this month over a potential unification bout.
Joshua says he wants to face Wilder if the unbeaten American successfully defends his WBC belt against Tyson Fury on December 1, but the ‘Bronze Bomber’ insists he is not paying attention to the Briton’s comments.
“I haven’t seen any videos or anything like that. Whatever the guys are doing, let them do it,” said Wilder in an interview with Fox News.
“We’re not focused on them, we’re not even concerned about them. When was the last time we even said anything about them?
“I don’t need him to bring status to me. My status came to me because I knock people out, not because of another man.”
Wilder insists his only focus is on beating Fury, who has fought just twice since returning to boxing in 2018 after a two-and-a-half year absence, which included a two-year ban from UK Anti-Doping.