David Price - What Next?

David Price - What Next?

David Price - Some decisions to make..

Having seen his attempt at trying to avenge a defeat to Tony Thompson turn to dust it must seem like a very lonely world to David Price at the moment. Even 3 weeks after he was stopped in the 5th, the future will very likely seem uncertain and he'll view it with a lot of trepidation.

So what next? What can he do to turn those 2 Thompson defeats into "glitches" on his path to world glory? Lets not forget he is still the British and Commonwealth Champion..

A lot of people are questioning his chin. This is a myth. He wasn't hit flush on the chin in the first fight, but just under the ear. Anybody who has been hit in this area will know the effect it has on your balance and the equilibrium of the body. Tyson Fury was put on his backside by a blown up cruiserweight, does he have a suspect chin?

Others are questioning his heart. Again this is a myth. To want, demand in fact, a rematch with Thompson to try to avenge that first defeat showed a lot of heart and a lot of courage. You can however, have all the heart in the world but if you have no gas in the tank then it means absolutely nothing and that is the first thing he needs to do.

Before any talk of possible opponents, Price must sort out his conditioning. He must ensure he is able to fight beyond 6 rounds without being gassed. He has power and precision but a lack of stamina will mean he may as well not bother. 

He also needs to sort out "his" team. Is it Maloney and Smith or Lewis and TeamLennox? I don't think there can be a mixture of the two. Different aims and techniques will result in Price being totally confused going into his next fight just as he was coming out for the 5th against Thompson - his corner telling him one thing, Lewis hollering something else from ringside. Some tough decisions need to be made.

Possible opponents need to be looked at carefully. I've seen talk of fighting Lucas Browne or Manuel Charr when he returns to the ring. These fights would be far too risky as a "return" fight. On a couple of undercards Vs Lewison or the like away from Liverpool would be a good starting point. It will take a lot of hard work mentally to get himself back to where he was confidence wise 3 fights ago.

I wish him well...

Price Vs Thompson - A Repeat Performance?

Redemption.

David Price has a chance of redeeming himself in his rematch Vs Tony Thompson on Saturday night. Anything other than a win for Price and it could be the start of the long and lonely road to "journeyman land".

In the first fight, a fight I along with 95% of other people thought would be an easy night's work for Price, he was hit with a shot in the 2nd that hit a button that made his legs not work. That happens and has happened to the best, ask Lennox Lewis! I'll come back to Mr Lewis the legend later.

David Price has a record of 16 fights, 15 wins (13KOs) with 1 loss. Price was talked about as the next big thing in world boxing, a man who would be able to take on and dethrone the Klitschko brothers, then came that fateful night in Liverpool last Feb, when the outsider, the old timer, the man with the name that would look good on Price's record, did the unthinkable and KO'd Price! 

That defeat sent a few shock-waves through the European heavyweight scene and changed things completely in Britain with Tyson Fury the major beneficiary of what happened that night.

With hindsight was it really that much of a shock? Price's fight before Thompson was against Matt Skelton, Thompson's previous fight was against Wlad Kilitschko. Thompson went into that fight with only 3 losses, 2 against Kiltschko, 1 when he was a rookie. He was experienced and no mug, looking back he should have been the favourite or at least not the rank outsider the bookies had him as.

Hindsight - What a wonderful super power...

Frank Maloney & David Price after the Thompson loss..

How will this rematch play out? 

Thompson has been very bullish in his comments - "David lacks knowledge and he can't have changed much in four months. He still has many weaknesses, and it might be a different one which I choose to expose on Saturday night.

We've come over here to repeat the first performance but we want to do it in even better fashion this time. I want there to be no doubt that I'm the better fighter. I haven't just taken this fight for the money. 

I've had offers where I could have made more money but the fans wanted to see if it was a fluke, if David is all they thought he was going to be and as a competitor, I wanted to prove that I'm the better fighter.

 

'For me, this is an easy fight." 

Price has been over to Canada to have help/training with Lennox Lewis. A legend of the ring who knows how to come back from a setback and who is ranked as a top 3 ATG has been advising and helping Price.

Lewis has big hopes for David and believes he can get over the upset of losing to Thompson in their first fight -

"I fought for the glory. David Price fights for the glory. He has learned a lot during our weeks together in Canada and back here. It’s not easy to become heavyweight champion of the world. It requires determination, the will, the desire. Price seems to have the desire and determination. 

He fights for the glory - not the money."

I think this fight is going to start off with a cagey Price Vs a bit of a gung ho Thompson. Thompson wanting to repeat his previous result, Price trying to stop history repeating itself whilst trying to counter punch. 

If there is no KO in the first 2 rounds I see it settling down with a Price win within 5 rounds.


I wish them both well...