Kell Brook doubts he will ever face Amir Khan and believes his bitter rival "hasn't got a chance" against Terence Crawford.
Brook admits Khan's world title fight with Crawford is a "good fight to take" but could not hide his disappointment after the welterweight world title bout was confirmed on Tuesday.
Khan: Brook 'hurt' fight plans
The 'Special One' and promoter Eddie Hearn had hoped to make the all-British showdown for 2019, and although Khan has said their fight "is still going to be there", Brook is not so sure.
"Obviously I am disappointed that we couldn't make the fight between me. All I can say is it's a good fight to take," he exclusively told Sky Sports.
"I don't think he's got a chance. I am not hating or anything, I just think he (Crawford) is too fresh, too good for Amir and I think he'll stop him.
"It is what it is. I don't want to jump on the bandwagon and say loads of stuff, it's a good fight besides myself, so good on him for getting it on.
"I just don't think he's got a chance. I think he's just fighting these fighters because people are expecting him to lose and he is thinking the fight with me is always going to be there and he can cash in on a big fight like that. That's why I think he's done this.
"The time for him to fight me was now and if he thought I was that bad, such a punk, he could've walked through me and then have those sorts of fights he's just taken, after it.
"I don't think it will happen now and I don't think the fans can blame me."
Smith: I'd welcome Brook battle
Brook, who is planning to return to the ring in the spring, hit back at Khan's suggestion that his December display against Michael Zerafa "hurt" their promised fight.
The former welterweight world champion was taken the distance in his second fight at super-welterweight but although he admits it was a below-par performance, laughed off Khan's claim.
"He is lovely, isn't he? I wasn't at my best at all but that really should've pushed him on even further and even harder to make our fight," he said.
"In his last fight he got put down by (Samuel) Vargas and looked ten-bob, so I was trying to make it easier for him!
"I made schoolboy errors and I knew that straight away. I am old enough and experienced enough to admit it. It wasn't good and now I will get fit again, get going again and get back in at the end of March, start of April.
"It is a fresh new year, so I am already looking forward. Amir has said the next PPV fight was going to be me and him but he's done a dodge. He looked me in the eye, shook my hand - a gentleman's handshake - and look where we are now.
"I am sick of the situation but what can you do? When you lace up those boxing gloves this sort of stuff goes with the territory, I suppose. "
Watch Demetrius Andrade's WBO title fight against Artur Akavov, with Jorge Linares and TJ Doheny on the undercard, live from Madison Square Garden, New York, in early hours of Saturday, 2am on Sky Sports Arena.