World heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman claims he does not understand what was going through Lennox Lewis's mind when the Briton apparently instigated a chat-show brawl.
The pair wrestled on a table after an argument over comments by Rahman that Lewis had "acted gay" when taking his fight for a rematch to court.
Both fighters were appearing on US television to promote their November rematch when the brawl broke out - something Rahman said was Lewis's fault.
"I don't play games like that," he told BBC Radio Four's Today Programme. "He put his hands on me so I restrained him and I pushed him on the desk and held him there.
"I never said he was gay. I said it was gay of him to take me to court for a rematch. He said he was going to use my sister to show me he wasn't gay," he said.
"I told him specifically I was not calling him gay - I don't understand how he could have misinterpreted it. I don't understand how his mind works".
"There was not much I could really do - he put his hands on me and I wouldn't let anyone put his hands on me".
"I'm anxious to get in the ring and prove I can knock him out again. I don't really have a beef with him -I'll take out any problems in the ring," Rahman said.
PA