By Jove! Downey Jr. Downed on Sherlock Set

Star's rep says actor is "fine" in wake of reports he was briefly knocked out while filming a fight scene

Managing to keep the A-list star of your big-budget movie in a conscious state? It's elementary, my dear Ritchie.

Robert Downey Jr.'s rep tells E! News the actor is back in fighting form despite a report in Britain's Sun tabloid claiming the star was knocked out during filming on Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes.

"He's fine," his publicist said.

A rep for Warner Bros., which is producing the film, confirmed that Downey "was hit during a scene," but denied the tab's report that he was "out cold," saying the actor "never lost consciousness, that rumor is false."

Instead, the studio rep insisted, Downey "got a few stitches and went back to work."

It was a much milder account of events than the ever-reliable Sun would have had its readers believe, claiming the 43-year-old Iron Man went down like a feather Saturday while shooting a fight scene with his 7-foot former wrestler costar Robert Maillet.

One of Maillet's fists accidentally connected with Downey's chin, rendering him "out cold" and "drooling blood," per the tab, citing an unnamed on-set source.

Regardless, Watson might want to watch his back.

(Originally published on Dec. 1, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. PT)