Deontay Wilder still has his sights set on beating Alexander Povetkin

Deontay Wilder remains determined to beat Alexander Povetkin despite the postponement of their WBC heavyweight showdown.

American Wilder (36-0-KO35) was due to head to Moscow this week for the fourth defence of his belt against Povetkin on Saturday, but the fight was called off after the Russian failed a drugs test.

Povetkin's sample tested positive for meldonium, a substance that was added to the World Anti-Doping Authority banned list in 2015 and caused Maria Sharapova to be banned, although Povetkin insists he has done nothing wrong.

Wilder, who had been training in Sheffield for the fight, has been left deeply frustrated by the postponement as he was hoping to make a statement with an emphatic victory.

Povetkin has tested positive for meldonium

The 30-year-old has also accused Povetkin's team of running scared of him and said he still wants to beat the Russian in the future.

Wilder told premierboxingchampions.com: "I still want to whip his ***. There ain't no drug that he can take that could stop the *** whipping I had waiting for him. Povetkin was never dangerous to me.

"I was ready to show the world what Deontay Wilder is capable of, but he stole my opportunity away from me - not only from me, but from the fans of boxing in his own country.

I was ready to show the world what Deontay Wilder is capable of, but he stole my opportunity away from me. Deontay Wilder

"We did everything right, we accepted everything and we were patient with these cowards. I'm sorry for the fans, because the fans really lost.

"I've done all the right things. I travelled to England, and I've put my body through so much and I've sacrificed so much, all just to come to a dead end and because of someone else's actions.

"This shows they were scared from the get-go. They feared me. They didn't want [me] to come to Russia to knock him out in front of his president and his people."