David Haye has dismissed Audley Harrison's claims that he was knocked down in sparring as "completely false".
I've barely been hit, never mind floored, says WBA champ
David Haye has laughed off claims that he has been knocked down in sparring.
Audley Harrison insists the WBA heavyweight champion was floored by Tony Thompson just two weeks before they lock horns in Best of Enemies, live on
Sky Box Office HD and in 3D.
Harrison came out with the revelation at a media workout on Monday, while also pointing out that the $500 he has offered his own sparring partners to knock him down, is still firmly in his pocket.
But Haye, who has also been using American heavyweight Nate James in the build-up, has dismissed the story as complete "nonsense".
"I'm still racking my brain to come up with a time when Tony Thompson dropped me," Haye wrote in his
skysports.com Fight Diary.
"I've conferred with the few people around me that watched the spars and we're all having the same mental block when it comes to the incident. Maybe Thompson hit me so hard that I've actually forgotten what happened!
"For the record, no, Thompson did not drop me or even come close to hurting me in sparring. In order to drop someone, you first need to be able to land a punch on them.
"I couldn't be happier with the way sparring has gone ahead of this fight, and I truly believe that, as far as sparring goes, I've produced the best work of my career so far. I'm sure Tony would agree."
Confidence
Thompson, who challenged Wladimir Klitschko for his IBF and WBO titles two years ago, has gone on record as saying the Manchester showdown will be "an easy win" for Haye.
And the champion says Harrison's claims prove he is the one who is struggling ahead of November 13.
"The rumour is completely false and Audley's simply using it as a ploy to build up his own fragile self-confidence," he said.
"If he needs to hang on to a crazy rumour like that to see him through the final days of preparation, then so be it.
"My confidence is grounded in reality, truth and actual achievement, as opposed to delusions of grandeur."
