Eddie Hearn has claimed opponents are "s*** scared" of facing Anthony Joshua as he searches for a June 1 replacement for Jarrell Miller.
Andy Ruiz Jr, Michael Hunter and Manuel Charr are all thought to be in the mix to take on the British heavyweight superstar at Madison Square Garden.
Luis Ortiz priced himself out of a potential fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF belts after 'Big Baby' Miller tested positive for three banned substances and was ruled out of the original bout.
Hearn has been left scrambling to find a replacement with Joshua already midway through his training camp - and he reckons heavyweights are frightened of the 29-year-old powerhouse.
Boxing news: Joe Joyce 'knows how to beat' Anthony Joshua as he eyes huge fight
Hearn said: “I told you I was gonna expose them (Ortiz's team), then they’ve gone, ‘Actually it was our fault’.
"I’m sick and tired of people trying to pretend Joshua is the one ducking fights when these guys are s*** scared of Anthony Joshua.
"Some guys are even sticking needles in their a*** to try and beat Anthony Joshua.
"That's why the person I'm going to pick is someone I believe thinks they can win this fight and will do everything to win this fight.
Boxing news: Why Jarrell Miller will avoid ban for his failed drugs tests
"Don't fight him for the money, fight him for the world heavyweight title because you think you can win. There's a couple out there who I think have that mindset."
Hearn was responding to comments from Ortiz's trainer, Hermano Caicedo, who slammed manager Jay Jimenez for refusing to accept the fight.
“An opportunity like this to make whatever Eddie is offering - $7-8 million – you grab it,” Caicedo told Boxing Scene.
Boxing news: Tyson Fury enjoys night out with cheerleaders ahead of next fight
“I think it was a rookie mistake on their part to not accept the fight. Luis is still p***** off. He found out when everyone else found out.
“But having said that, Eddie offering it and then putting it in writing are two different things. I personally believe that we would’ve seen an upside-down contract just to stall and renegotiate.
“Most fighters won’t take a fight until they have a signed contract. There’s a lot of things you can do with a contract to not make a fight happen.”
