Anthony Joshua is set to fight Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia in December on the same card as Deontay Wilder, who is taking on Joseph Parker instead of the British heavyweight

Deontay Wilder has hit out at Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn for allegedly rejecting the chance to fight him.

Joshua is set to fight Otto Wallin on December 23 in Saudi Arabia, while Wilder will take on Joseph Parker on the same card. Confirmation of the line-ups has disappointed some fans, who wanted to see a long-awaited blockbuster heavyweight fight between Joshua and Wilder.

That was a possibility, according to the American, who claims that his opponent and his team simply dismissed the contest. Asked why he is not fighting Joshua next, Wilder told the Daily Mail: “He asked for $50million (£40m) and we provided that for him and he did not take it. And the only way you can disregard that is to make a mockery of it, try to make a joke of it, try to make it seem to the public that it’s not real.”

The ‘Day Of Reckoning’ show in Riyadh was originally meant for Tyson Fury’s proposed fight against Oleksandr Usyk, but that has since been delayed. A fight between Joshua and Wilder – two of the sport’s biggest stars – would have made an apt replacement, but Wilder thinks Joshua’s promoter Matchroom Boxing did not want to risk a heavy loss for their most profitable fighter.

“It’s a deflection,” he added. “It’s an ‘oh s***’ moment. ‘They came up with $50m’. That’s why they don’t have Joshua speaking a lot on his own behalf and if he does speak he always slips up and says things that are not appealing to his people. And they have to play clean-up.

“It’s his management that have held him back from fighting me because, you know, he’s a fighter. It’s been over six years (waiting for the fight). But there comes a point in time where you’re like, ‘Forget it’.

“Many times he wanted to fight, he wanted to accept it but his handlers didn’t want it because Joshua is the money-maker for the company. And if he goes down, so does the business.”

Speaking in a press conference to promote his fight against Wallin, Joshua said: “I can’t predict the future, but I know what I want to do. I believe I’m going to be a three-time heavyweight champion and the first step is to put a demolition job on Otto Wallin.

“It’s going to be big – we haven’t seen a card like this before. This is not a one-stop shop. This is a vision, this is my first stop and I will deliver the message. I’m determined to win and get back to my peak.”

Wilder is hoping Joshua wins to set up a fight with him next year. He said: “It is good to be in the same room with him, to see him face to face, it has been a long time coming. I wish him nothing but the best and hopefully, soon we can give the people what we want and get it on in the ring. I believe it is going to happen, it is about that time. But even if it doesn’t, I wish him nothing but the best.”