Deontay Wilder believes Anthony Joshua avoided his fight with Tyson Fury so he didn’t have to answer ‘hard questions’.

Not only that, Wilder has hit back at Joshua’s claims he wants to fight him and believes he doesn’t 'want to show or prove to the world that he’s the best’.

Anthony Joshua sat ringside for Saturday’s bout between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Rocky Fielding in New York, witnessing Canelo’s brutal assault on his opponent, as he knocked down the Brit four times before winning in the third round.

However, when Wilder and Fury met at the Staples Center two weeks previous, Joshua was not present, and the American has suggested that was because he was unwilling to face that fact that he is avoiding both him and Fury.

“Anthony Joshua don’t want to show or prove to the world that he’s the best,” Wilder told Boxing Scene. “He just wants to walk around faking it, coming over here and making excuses.”

This is after Joshua stated last week he cannot wait to get in the ring with the American.

“There’s no ducking. I’m willing to fight,” Joshua told IFL TV. “Begging? Yeah I am begging. I want to become undisputed champion of the world. I’m hungry for it, so yeah I am begging.”

On the same night of Wilder v Fury, Luis Ortiz also fought on the undercard, defeating Travis Kauffman in a 10th round stoppage.

“King Kong” Ortiz was also critical of Joshua deciding not to sit ringside just over two weeks ago, saying before his fight with Kauffman: “AJ should 1,000 percent be there at ringside. With three of the best heavyweights fighting in the same arena on Saturday night, he should absolutely be there.”

“I believe that Joshua is saving face and that he is scared. I don’t think Joshua wants to (face his critics) and deal with the questions from the public and the media regarding his (legitimacy) as a champion."

And Wilder appeared to agree.

“Anthony Joshua doesn’t want to answer hard questions. He wants the not so dangerous questions. He wants to deal with those reporters that will eat cheese with him and be real nice and ask soft questions,” he added.

The WBC have ordered a rematch between Wilder and Fury and the American himself has said with the choice of Fury and Joshua he’d choose Fury ‘9 times out of 10’.

This, therefore, means we may be waiting until the end of 2019 to see Wilder and Joshua go head to head in an undisputed heavyweight match-up.