Boxing rival Deontay Wilder: 'Parker is the scaredest of them all'

Deontay Wilder - on a mission to unify the heavyweight division. Photo / Photosport

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has claimed that Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker is avoiding a showdown.

Parker currently holds the WBO heavyweight title, but American Wilder is more confident of a title showdown against WBA and IBF champions Anthony Joshua than a battle against Parker.

"I think it'll be easier to get Joshua than Parker," Wilder told BoxingScene.com.

"Parker is the scaredest of them all. He don't want it. My thing is if you come in this thing talking about how you wanna fight the best, then please do fight the best. Y'all came to my city, talked to me for several days, talked to my people for several days, not only in person, but on the phone, for nothing. For nothing, when y'all know you didn't want me. You thought you did, but you came to the fight and you saw me knock this guy out like I did, and you don't want it no more."

Parker won't fight again this year following his most recent defeat over Fury. The Kiwi is set to fight again early next year with American Bryant Jennings tipped as his opponent.

Wilder told BoxingScene.com Parker won't be part of the equation soon.

"I'm gonna have to stop all these champions and these top contenders from coming to my fights," Wilder said. "Because when they do, they see what they thought they want is not what they really want. Their eyes play tricks on them from afar, but when they come in person it's a whole, totally different story. But sooner or later, whether Joshua gets his belt and I fight Joshua, or I get his belt and fight Joshua, either way, Parker's gonna be gone soon."

"There's two men that I want so bad, and it's Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker," Wilder said. "I wanna unify the division so bad. That's my ultimate goal. I don't care about how much money it is, the buildup, this and that - that all plays a part in it. But my sole feeling is I want those belts. I wanna unify, but I don't think these guys wanna do the same thing. They talk the talk, but they don't wanna walk it. Especially with Joseph Parker. He came and said he wants the best and all this.

"He even came to my fight for nothing, but he really don't want that. He is no threat at all. He's not a dangerous fighter. He's at the bottom of the champions that's fighting second-tier fighters. He wanna stay out of harm's way for as long as possible and it's sad. But I want both of those guys, man. I want them so bad to unify this division. That's all I wanna do is unify. And then, after that everybody can line up."

Wilder told Radio Sport in April he was ready to fight Parker when Hughie Fury withdrew from a fight in Auckland earlier in the year. Parker instead took on Razvan Cojanu before beating Fury last month.

In an explosive interview with Radio Sport Breakfast, Wilder said it was time boxing got real about unifying the heavyweight division instead of boxers being continually positioned for pay days.

In a no holds barred interview with Radio Sport, Wilder urged Duco to set up an immediate fight to unify the WBO and WBC belts. He repeated his plea for the winner of that fight to meet the winner of the Wladimir Klitschko-Anthony Joshua showdown in April, which was won by the Brit.

Listen: Deontay Wilder talks to the Radio Sport Breakfast in April

The 31-year-old Wilder, speaking from Nevada, said: "Put your money where your mouth is, put your belt where your mouth is.

"I was trying to be his (Parker's) next opponent. Why would you want to fight anyone else? I'm just tired of sitting around.

"A lot of promoters and managers have got to stop being scared, everyone has got to lose some time. It's an unpredictable sport and that's what I love about it.

"I don't care where it is...here, there, on the moon. It don't matter to me. I don't care if it is one people or 100,000 watching, it is one ring, one opponent.

"I'm not scared, it's perfect. Why would you want to fight anyone else?"