Anthony Joshua has been slammed over his social media "meltdown" by top heavyweight Joe Joyce.
The two-time heavyweight champion is due rematch Oleksandr Usyk for the unified titles that he lost last September, but with the ongoing situation in Ukraine it appears that the fight will be shelved for the time being.
Instead, Joshua looks set to take a fight in the interim with another top heavyweight, having told promoter Eddie Hearn he wants to face the likes of Deontay Wilder or Joe Joyce.
And a war of words appears to have broken out between the two British Olympians, who won medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 games respectively before turning professional.
Joshua laughed off suggestions that he would avoid a bout in the paid ranks with Joyce, noting that he stopped him within minutes in the amateurs back in 2011.
After being called out by Otto Wallin, whom he also faced in the amateurs, Joshua replied: "Lol ok… I’ve shared this ring with most people you see in the heavyweight division today!
"I boxed Otto Wallin twice as youngsters and I boxed Joe and stopped him in one round. I’d do the same thing today! Ain’t nothing changed."
And Joyce hit back, telling Joshua in an angry tweet: "You're having a meltdown, where’s all your belts?
"All those sponsorships and endorsements helping? You’re a glass cannon, quit the act, you were given everything #easymode."
Joshua clapped back quickly, joking that it took Joyce five days to come up with the response, with Joyce saying in return: "By the way, I told you five days ago let’s get it on my yout!
"Check your Twitter. You ducked it."
Joyce did have a tweet dating March 9 where he challenged Joshua to an all-British fight, sharing a mocked up fight poster showing off both men's amateur pedigree as Olympians.
"Two GB Lions in an all British Heavyweight Showdown," the post read. "This fight would be massive. I’m highly-ranked and undefeated. Let’s Get It!"
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The pair are promoted by rivals Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, which would likely cause problems in the negotiation stage.
But Warren has insisted that he would be willing to work with bitter enemy Hearn to make the fight happen, claiming it could sell out Wembley Stadium.
Warren has already sold the national stadium out once with his April 23 promotion between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte for the world heavyweight title.
"I think the public would definitely buy into AJ-Joe Joyce," Warren responded when iFL TV suggested the possible match-up. "We’d make that in a heartbeat.
"Joe would fight him in a heartbeat - what a great domestic bust-up that is, let’s get our heads together and we’ll get that done."
