Former world heavyweight champion David Haye has admitted that he only has himself to blame for the criticism he received for twice withdrawing from a match with Tyson Fury.

Haye suffered a severe cut just a week before their first contest, while he sustained a serious shoulder injury in the build-up to their second scheduled encounter.

The two pull-outs resulted in Haye being widely criticised by the British public, who had been excited for the biggest British heavyweight showdown for many years, but the two-weight world titlist has insisted that the abuse he endured was justified.

The 33-year-old is quoted by The Independent as saying: "I think a lot of the criticism that I've had as a result of that is fair. It's like paying to watch a movie and then the projector breaks down.

"I've given Fury ammunition to claim that I'm ducking fighting him, too, and I've only got myself to blame. To be as injury-prone as much as me isn't bad luck. It's the way that I've trained in the past."

Haye has revealed that he is targeting a return to the ring later this year.