Deontay Wilder
Deontay Wilder will defend his WBC heavyweight title against Luis Ortiz in New York on 3 March Al Bello/Getty Images

Luis Ortiz's camp insist that a much-speculated heavyweight unification clash between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will not come to fruition as "King Kong" seeks to dethrone the WBC champion next weekend.

The veteran Cuban southpaw will challenge for a full world title for the first time at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on 3 March in perhaps the toughest test yet for Wilder, who provides the seventh defence of the belt he won from Bermane Stiverne in 2015.

The duo were originally scheduled to lock horns in November, only for the "Bronze Bomber" to instead inflict a brutal first-round knockout on Stiverne after Ortiz failed a drugs test.

A 40th successive professional victory for the undefeated Wilder would set him on a path to a lucrative showdown with WBA (Super), IBF, and IBO title-holder Joshua later in 2018, provided the latter adds the WBO strap to his collection by beating New Zealander Joseph Parker at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 31 March.

However, Ortiz, who ruthlessly dispatched Daniel Martz on his last outing in December, is clearly confident regarding his chances of springing an upset and becoming the first-ever pro Cuban-born heavyweight champion of the world while also massively disrupting the plotted course of boxing's blue riband division.

Asked by ESPN Deportes during an explosive conference call how it felt to hear so many people express their desire to see Wilder meet Joshua, Ortiz, speaking through a translator, said per Bad Left Hook: "I have no feelings there, that ain't going to happen. That fight is not going to happen."

Joshua is expected to make his US debut in the summer after facing Parker, with promoter Eddie Hearn recently confirming that he is already in talks with Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Brett Yormark over staging his next bout at Barclays in August.

However, it seems that Brooklyn native Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller could be his first stateside opponent if he makes a big enough statement against former WBC title challenger Johann Duhaupas on 28 April, with Hearn stating that Wilder, who has claimed that AJ will never be a worldwide figure without fighting him, was continuing to "live at a street address on Fantasy Island" as he seeks to secure a 50-50 purse split.

Parker, meanwhile, has warned that Joshua and Hearn "will be in for a surprise" if they are already overlooking that next unification fight next month.