Anthony Joshua was not brave enough to take on Deontay Wilder, according to the American's promoter Shelly Finkel.
Wilder will face Tyson Fury in Los Angeles on December 1, having failed to agree a deal to fight fellow heavyweight rival Joshua despite lengthy negotiations between the two camps.
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And while Wilder and Fury clashed in a frenetic news conference on Monday, Finkel gave credit to the Briton for having the guts he believed Joshua lacked in rejecting a unification bout.
"We didn't pick you to fight you or you to fight us because we thought you are easy," Finkel said, addressing Fury. "We believe you're the best out there.
"We have nothing but respect because your countryman didn't have the guts to step up like you did. He was offered a fortune to fight, the fortune that he asked for, and when it was presented he said no.
"Frank [Warren] said to me why don't we make it with Tyson Fury and I said, 'you're kidding, would he really want to?'
"I commend you. You stepped right up, there was no question about it. Now we have a fight which the promoter of the other fight [Eddie Hearn] said wouldn't happen."
