Wladimir Klitschko has dismissed the challenge presented by Tyson Fury. Klitschko is to defend his WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles against mandatory challenger Fury at Dusseldorf's ESPRIT Arena on November 28.

Fury has previously made much of the fact that, five years ago while working with Klitschko's former trainer, the late Emanuel Steward, he was never given the chance to spar the champion.

The heavyweight claims that Klitschko rejected a direct invitation to spar him, and also takes pride in outlasting him while the two were in a sauna.

But Klitschko's version of events is that Steward refused to allow the spar because he was protecting Fury while the 39-year-old does not recall what happened in the sauna.

"Emanuel brought him here," Klitschko said. "He was trying to protect him from crumbling mentally in the ring with a champion. He was way too raw (to spar me). So he never put Tyson in the ring for that reason.

"He would have been beaten up badly and that wouldn't have been good for his mental side.

"The sauna thing was just childish, I don't know what he was talking about.

"He was at my training camp and I'm the chief executive here.

"But I remember him as very nice kid back then. Very courteous and respectful."

::Klitschko v Fury is live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday 28 November. Buy now at skysports.com/klitschkofury