British heavyweight David Price has claimed that he put Anthony Joshua "flat on his face" during a sparring session in 2011.
Price is hoping to secure a showdown with IBF champion Joshua later this year, and the Liverpudlian has chosen to reveal details of a previous meeting with the world title holder.
The 33-year-old told Sky Sports News: "When it happened, Joshua was an amateur on the GB squad and I was a novice pro and I kept it to myself because he was an up-and-coming potential boxer. I wanted to protect him from it, didn't want to go around boasting about it.
"But our positions have changed and he's IBF heavyweight champion of the world. I'm someone who would definitely be interested in having a shot at it, and I thought the time was right to let the cat out of the bag and let people know.
"It is possible that Anthony Joshua can be hurt and can be beaten. What I'm talking about happened a long time ago, but it's still the two same people. If it was a fight, it would have been stopped immediately. Not asleep, but flat on his face and ushered out of the ring by his trainers."
Price has fought just once in 2016 but he is scheduled to compete again in the autumn - potentially in Liverpool in October - before hoping to meet Joshua.
Darren Plant
