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Harrison was too petrified to punch me - Haye

Audley Harrison landed one punch in the fight © PA Photos

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David Haye has claimed that Audley Harrison was too "petrified" to throw a punch during the one-sided heavyweight title clash between the two.

Harrison landed just one jab across three rounds of boxing before the referee brought a premature end to the fight, putting the challenger out of his misery.

The 39-year-old's timidity has been met with disbelief in many circles, with the Haye clash surely representing his last opportunity to fight for a world title. Now the WBA champion has joined in the chorus who have voiced their disapproval in the wake of Harrison's abject effort.

"I was hoping he'd give me some riddles to try to overcome, I was hoping he'd throw me a curveball," Haye told Sky Sports. "He didn't - he seemed petrified. At the weigh-in I could see him trembling and I thought the fight was going to be short and sweet.

"I was so razor sharp, I was on it. Round three came, I thought 'okay, put a little more pressure on him, he'll try to throw something' - as soon as he tried to throw something I hit him with the right hand, I saw his legs go. Once I get someone hurt, I close it.

"I think he'll be bitterly disappointed when he looks at the punch stats and realises he threw only one jab in two-and-a-half rounds of boxing. He talked a lot about what would happen if that left hand detonated on my chin, but he didn't throw it. He'll kick himself for that."

Haye will now turn his attention to unifying the heavyweight division before he retires from the sport next year at the age of 31. In order to achieve that goal, he must get past the Klitschko brothers - Wladimir and Vitali - and he insists he does not mind who he faces first. "I'm really not that fussed [who I fight first], to be honest," he said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.