Deontay Wilder says Anthony Joshua should not be able to fight him. Brit prepares for crucial comeback bout

DEONTAY WILDER is adamant a showdown with Anthony Joshua will NEVER come to fruition.

The pair, 37 and 33 respectively, were on course to throw down in 2018 when they held all the heavyweight marbles.

The fight, however, fell through when Wilder opted to face Tyson Fury – who he fought to a controversial draw.

But the former WBC heavyweight king insists Joshua was to blame for their mouthwatering showdown going by the wayside.

The Bronze Bomber told ESNEWS: “Joshua don’t want to fight me; it’s plain and clear.

“I don’t know why people keep asking about that.

“Everybody should’ve known when the $50 million was offered, and he didn’t take it.

“Even moving forwards, Joshua don’t want to fight.

“They should have known then there was something fishy about it.

“There’s certain information that I know and certain information that the public receives from others.”

Wilder admitted he swerved a historic undisputed showdown with AJ in a fiery Twitter spat with The Gyspy King just over two years ago.

And his admission was music to the ears of Joshua, who had been on the receiving end of repeated claims he ducked the American.

The former two-time unified heavyweight champ said: “It makes the ultimate sense.

“It’s hard because at the time when people are talking and you see lots of media stuff, you start to believe what that person is saying.

“When time goes by, naturally the truth will always reveal itself. I get a lot of stick but I take it with a pinch of salt.

“He admitted it. We made him a lucrative offer but he wanted to face Fury.

“So be it. If that’s what he wanted to do, fine. But he dragged my name through the mud.

“While Wilder was trying to make me look like a bad person, that I didn’t want to enhance the sport, or fight certain fighters, I just had to roll with the punches.

“He has come out and said it himself. We offered him a really good deal but he wanted to fight Fury.

“People can take it how they want, and see what the truth is now.”

Joshua is set to return to the ring on April 1 for a do-or-die showdown with Jermaine Franklin – his first outing since his back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

Wilder, meanwhile, is on course for a May melee with former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr.