Considering how much unbeaten heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder has been criticized for his soft matchmaking en route to building a 38-0 record with 37 knockouts, it's refreshing to see how willing he has become to make big fights. 

Wilder, who lost out on a chance to face Alexander Povetkin last year after the highly-regarded Russian tested positive for meldonium, posted a video Monday on social media challenging fellow unbeaten titleholder Joseph Parker of New Zealand to a unification fight later this year. 

The timing was apropos because, on Saturday, Parker (22-0, 18 KOs) saw his May 6 title defense against Hugie Fury (20-0, 10 KOs), the first cousin of former champion Tyson Fury, called off when Fury pulled out with a lower back injury. 

"Look, I'm going to cut straight to the chase," Wilder said. "I hear about this Hughie Fury backing out two weeks before a fight. Come on man, you already know [the Fury family] has a history of doing stuff -- a family history as that. Oh yeah, I heard about the injury. They said it was a lack of self confidence and that sounds about right.

"Joseph Parker, if you're really serious about fighting somebody and if you're really serious about unifying the division and giving the fans what they want to see, then what other person is available than me? I've got the WBC, you've got the WBO, let's make it happen. 

"I'm available right now! Forget all them other scrubs that's up in the division coming up. Right now you are talking about another champion versus another champion. Let's make a unification fight at the end of the year."

Parker, 25, who fights out of Las Vegas, retweeted Wilder's video and later responded to a fan positively regarding the prospect of the fight. Parker defeated Andy Ruiz Jr. in December by majority decision to win the vacant WBO title. 

The recent change in heart has been a positive one for Wilder, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist who has recorded a string of five title defenses against largely unknown or undeserving opponents since going the distance against Bermane Stiverne in 2015 to win the WBC belt via decision. 

Wilder has shown equal stretches of promise and question marks along the way, relying almost exclusively on the power of his big right hand to save him from moments of trouble against opponents that shouldn't have been able to do so. His fights, however, have remained exciting due to that unknown quantity as Wilder has been featured of late on network television thanks to the PBC. 

At 31, Wilder is still developing as he goes, making him the rare titleholder who is still very much a prospect at the same time. Getting a chance to find out how good he really is against elite competition is important for the division, and it's refreshing to see Wilder finally on board. 

Considering we know just as little about Parker's ability against top-tier competitors, a unification bout between the two would do a great job sorting out the weak and getting us closer to the dream of an undisputed champion.