ANTHONY JOSHUA and Joe Joyce traded blows on Twitter as talk of a heavyweight showdown increases.
Joyce is one of many hopefuls throwing his name into the hat to fight Joshua if Oleksandr Usyk is forced out of their rematch.
The Ukrainian, 35, has bravely taken up arms to defend his nation in the war against Russia, meaning he is out of the picture.
Joyce volunteered to fight AJ but his former sparring partner hit back and referenced his first-round win in the amateurs.
Joshua, 32, tweeted: "I boxed joe and stopped him in 1 round. I’d do the same thing today! Ain’t nothing changed."
Almost a week later, the usually tight-lipped Joyce, 36, responded: "And @anthonyjoshua you having a meltdown, where’s all your belts?
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"All those sponsorships and endorsements helping? You’re a glass cannon, quit the act, you were given everything."
But Joshua quipped: "It took you 5 days to think of this…"
Joyce's promoter Frank Warren has already put the unbeaten Olympian forward to fight Joshua.
But AJ has other southpaw alternatives in Otto Wallin, 30, and Luis Ortiz, 42, more suited to replicate Usyk's style.
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Wallin told SunSport: "I had that really good fight with Fury, sent him to the hospital with 47 stitches and was probably Fury's hardest fight so far.
"If you look at Usyk and you're trying to find someone that's similar to him, obviously I'm the best option.
"They know that I'm interested in the fight and I want the fight."
Ortiz's manager Jay Jimenez said: "Luis 'King Kong' Ortiz would love an opportunity to step up to the challenge of facing Joshua."
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