Anthony Joshua finally confirmed his long-awaited next fight earlier this month, with a Stateside clash against Jarrell 'Big Baby' Miller lined up.

The fight in Madison Square Garden, New York on June 1 should be an entertaining one, but it wasn't the huge showdown against either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury that the boxing world wanted.

With Joshua trying and failing to secure a fight with Wilder over the last few months, Fury went under the radar to beat his countryman to it.

The pair's epic draw in Los Angeles in December means that a rematch is likely, leading to AJ again having to look elsewhere for a fight.

And having considered another bout against Dillian Whyte, Joshus eventually decided on Miller in what will be his first fight in the U.S.

But for former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, that wasn't good enough.

Lewis has been openly critical of Joshua's failed negotiations recently, saying that he should be securing a fight against either Wilder or Fury.

His persistent digs at Joshua in the media have meant that promoter Eddie Hearn has had to step in to defend him and clarify the communications between their camp and Wilder's.

“All these things, people like Lennox Lewis, I’ve never known a geezer talk so much s*** as Lennox Lewis at Anthony Joshua,” Hearn told Boxing News.

“So it’s frustrating. Because you’ve got all these people saying AJ don’t want the fight, what more can we do?” Hearn continued. “Made flat offers, percentage offers, double way rematch, fight in America, but they won’t even reply. If that don’t tell you what you need to know, I’m lost, baffled.”

And now, Joshua himself has had his say on Lewis' criticism whilst speaking to iFL TV.

"To be honest I don't see them, but what I hear is that he doesn't really have any positive stuff to say, if I'm honest.

"So with that being said, I think it reflects back to my comments about how I feel about when I leave the [sport].

"If I met him face to face it would probably be different, do you know what I mean?"

AJ was then asked if he believes some of Lewis' comments have been taken out of context, but he wasn't buying that at all.

"No because the thing is he's been documented on camera saying it. But when you meet someone face to face they don't have the same views they have when they were one-on-one in front of the camera.

"That's that being said, but as I said, my outlook on the heavyweight division is that when I'm done with the sport, all I want to do is say nice, positive things about other heavyweights that are breaking my records, doing better than me and taking their own route in boxing.

"I'm not going to follow Lennox Lewis' route [and] Wilder, or Fury, Povetkin, Wladimir aren't going to follow his route either. I feel like he had his thing set out - that was good for him - I have my thing, that's good for me.

"You just have to respect someone for doing it, not be envious, I don't want to say jealous, he's maybe not jealous but don't have anything negative to say.

"That's what I want to do when I finish, just pure positivity, respect that kid, he's doing well. Whatever route he's taking, I'm sure he's got good people around him. If he needs my support I'm here - nothing more, nothing less."

Joshua makes a fair point, and if Hearn is to be believed, it would seem like they have done everything to try and secure a fight with Wilder, but at the end of the day, Lewis is just saying what a lot of boxing fans are thinking.

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