Lenox Lewis accuses Anthony Joshua of shying away from a unification fight with Deontay Wilder

FORMER world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis has accused Nigerian-born Anthony Joshua of running scared of a unification fight with World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Deontay Wilder.

After beating New Zealander Joseph Parker in Cardiff in April, Joshua became the holder of the World Boxing Organisation (WBO), World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) belts. On September 22, Joshua will fight Russia Alexander Povetkin and already, negotiations are on for a major unification bout with Wilder.

Joshua wants American boxer Wilder to accept a $15m offer to face him to determine who is the undisputed world heavyweight champion in front of a 100,000 crowd at Wembley Stadium on April 13, 2019. If it goes ahead, the fight could generate up to $100m and would be the first time all four major world heavyweight titles will be on the line.

However, Lewis has accused Joshua of stalling the deal, claiming that he is prolonging negotiations which is sabotaging the heavyweight fight of the decade. According to Lewis, Joshua has to fight Wilder if he really wants to succeed him as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Lewis said: "Joshua should go and order Eddie Hearn to make the fight with Deontay Wilder. Now is the moment when you must take charge of your own destiny.

"Joshua and his promoter Hearn keep accusing Wilder of ducking but there is no question that it is Wilder who wants the fight and it is Wilder who wants to prove that he is the man in this new heavyweight era. I was with Wilder in Washington last week and it is clear Joshua doesn’t want the fight."

According to Lewis, Wilder explained to him that all the difficulties surrounding the organising of the fight are coming from Joshua and Hearn.  He added that Joshua is listening to Hearn, while Deontay most definitely wants this fight more than anything else.

"Joshua said he would take $50m in a heartbeat but when that offer came he didn’t accept. I would have taken $50m quicker than a heartbeat and gone through with any fight as I never ducked anyone," Lewis added.