Britain's David Haye will not have his World Boxing Association heavyweight crown diminished by the sanctioning of an interim title fight, Haye promoter Oscar de la Hoya said.

In response to rival promoter Don King's claim that the WBA had agreed to an interim title bout, de la Hoya said in a statement released early on Tuesday that he had been assured no such bout will be recognized by the sanctioning group.

"We have complete confidence that the WBA will keep their word and not sanction an interim heavyweight world title bout," De la Hoya said.

"They have assured us that David will remain the only WBA heavyweight world Champion, a title which he looks forward to proudly defending for the first time in the early part of 2010."

Haye is set to defend against US veteran John Ruiz next year after defeating Russian Nikolai Valuev on November 7 to win the WBA throne.

Kali Meehan, a Fiji-born Australian, would face Uzbek southpaw Ruslan Chagaev, a former WBA champion, for the WBA interim title, according to King, who said that the winner would then fight the Ruiz-Haye winner for the true crown.

King also claims that he has a valid contract to promote Ruiz.

It's not the first time King has tested a British heavyweight boxing champion.

Retired British star Lennox Lewis struggled for years to obtain a heavyweight unification showdown in part because King-backed fighters battled one another for most of the major crowns.

Lewis eventually had his day, defeating Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas in 1999 for the undisputed throne some eight months after a controversial draw in New York.

AFP

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