Showing posts with label WBC. Show all posts

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

The IBF Press Release & My View...

The IBF Seek To Clarify Their Position On Tyson Fury.

The IBF Belt

Whilst many think the decision to strip Tyson Fury of his IBF belt only a week after winning it, the IBF make a pretty clear case for why they did -

IBF Press Release (December 9, 2015):

"The IBF Heavyweight World Title, which was won by Tyson Fury on November 28, 2015 when he beat the reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko in an optional defense of this title, was vacated on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 by the IBF as Tyson Fury is unable to make the mandatory defense of the IBF title against challenger Vyacheslav Glaskov because he is contractually obligated to a rematch with Klitschko, which is in direct violation of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contests.

On November 30, 2015, the IBF reminded Tyson Fury via an email in care of Hennessy Sports that the bout on November 28 was considered a mandatory defense of both the WBA and WBO Heavyweight titles and that his next bout was to be the IBF mandatory defense against Vyacheslav Glazkov, the #1 contender and the leading available contender for the IBF mandatory defense. This bout was due next in the rotation of mandatory defenses of the titles. Furthermore, Fury was informed that negotiations with Glazkov should commence immediately and be concluded by December 30, 2015. He was advised that if an agreement was not reached between the two parties by December 30, 2015, the IBF would call for a purse bid. Glazkov’s promoter Main Events was copied on this letter.

On December 1, 2015, the IBF received a letter via email from Patrick C. English on behalf of Main Events indicating that Main Events was unwilling to negotiate and requested that the IBF order an immediate purse bid in accordance with Rule 10.A. of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contests. Rule 10.A. cites in part: “If the camps are unable to come to an agreement as to the promotion of a title bout in the initial thirty (30) day negotiation period, or if one of the camps certifies in writing during the negotiation period that he is not willing to participate in negotiations, the President of the IBF/USBA shall notify each registered promoter that a purse offer will be held.” Accordingly, the IBF ordered a purse bid to be held on December 11, 2015.

Following the title fight between Klitschko and Fury, the IBF became aware for the first time that there was a contractual agreement between both fighters for an immediate rematch. There were no provisions for any rematch in the contracts which were submitted to the IBF prior to the IBF agreeing to sanction the Klitschko vs. Fury bout. Rule 3.B. of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contests states:

“No contract for a Championship contest shall contain any clause or any provision, whatsoever, guaranteeing or in any way assuring or promising either contestant a return Championship contest where such clause or provision interferes with the mandatory defense of a title.”

Had the IBF been aware of a clause in the contract that violated this rule, the parties would have been mandated to agree in writing to stage this rematch after the completion of the IBF mandatory defense. If the parties did not agree, the title fight with Tyson Fury would not have been sanctioned by the IBF.

In a letter sent to the IBF by Harbottle & Lewis, the legal counsel retained by Hennessy Sports and Tyson Fury, the IBF was asked to consider and exercise their discretion under the IBF’s regulations and direct that an immediate rematch for the IBF Championship take place between Fury and Klitschko. This rematch is in direct violation of an IBF rule and the IBF will not order a rematch under these circumstances.

Wladimir Klitschko has exercised his right to the contractual option agreed upon between himself and Tyson Fury for an immediate rematch, thus rendering Tyson Fury unable to make the mandatory defense of the IBF title next. The direct rematch between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury interferes with the mandatory defense of the IBF Heavyweight title and is in violation of Rule 3.B. of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contests. Consequently, the title has been vacated in accordance to Rule 3.C.2. of the IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contests which states: “Upon violation of this Rule, the Championship involved shall forthwith be declared vacant.”

On December 8, 2015 the IBF ordered #1, Vyacheslav Glazkov and #4, Charles Martin to begin negotiations for the vacant Heavyweight title. The IBF received a written certification from Warriors Boxing who represents Martin, stating that he was not willing to participate in negotiations and therefore requested an immediate purse bid according to IBF Rule 10A. The purse bid had been scheduled Friday, December 18, 2015 at 12 Noon."

Is the decision a stupid one? In my opinion, yes it is, however I see why the IBF have taken the action they have. Caught between a rock and a hard place, they could be waiting till late summer for their sanctioning fees, which I believe to be the real issue here. After all money talks...

So now we have the possibility of 3 "World Champions", however Tyson Fury is the lineal and that is what counts, isn't it?

Friday, 17 July 2015

David Price vs Erkan Teper - Full Fight.

David Price vs Erkan Teper

David Price was Ko'd in the 2nd round by Erkan Teper in his attempt to win the European Heavyweight Title.

End of the road for Price now in my opinion. Thought this was a likely outcome has never looked the same since Thompson and seemed to have learned nothing from either of those fights.

The Face of a man who knows his dreams are gone..

I had such high hopes for him once.

Good Luck David and thanks for the memories....

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

Review Of 2014 (Part 1/3) KO OF THE YEAR.

Stoppages/KOs Of The Year.

Several (hundred) contenders for this accolade!!

There are some great one punch finishes, some superb technical KOs with an accumulation of punches to gain the desired result. The devastating KO is almost always more preferable to the technical 12 round points win. Would you rather watch a Tyson fight or a Mayweather fight, for example...

There could be a very many honourable mentions, far too many to mention in fact, ESPN have given their KO of the year to Wladimir Klitschko's 5th round KO of Kubrat Pulev, which, although good I feel there are better.

My three of the best are:-

Gennady Golovkin's 2nd round KO of Marco Antonio Rubio.

Marvin Sonsona 3rd round KO of Akifumi Shimoda.

KO OF THE YEAR.

Joseph Parker's 4th Round KO of Irineu Beato Costa Junior.

Irineu Beato Costa Junior had just come off a 12 round decision loss to Christian Hammer who was ranked 7th in the world and was a big step up for Parker. Costa Jr brought in with him a big physique and a record of 15 wins, 13 came of which from KO.

It was a superb left-hook right-hand combination that ended it all for Costa in the fourth, giving him his first KO loss. The last right hand is probably making itself felt on the chin of Costa Jr almost a month later!!

It prompted Kevin Barry to say -
"If that doesn't put the shudders into a few heavyweights around the world, I don't know what will."

I wish all the fighters well.

Still to come Fighter of The Year and Fight Of The Year...

Friday, 25 April 2014

Lucas Browne Vs Eric Martel Bahoeli - Another Stepping Stone For Browne...

A Fight For The Commonwealth Title - 26th April 2014.

On Saturday evening Lucas Browne will step into the ring on the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield with the weight and expectation of a country on his shoulders. He will be aiming to be the first Australian to win the Commonwealth Title for 122 years. A win would also provide a huge boost to Browne's standing within the game, currently rated #11 by The WBC and in the top 15 by The WBA and IBF, Ricky Hatton (lucas' promoter) believes a win would push Lucas into the top 5 and on the verge of a world title shot. No pressure then!!

Standing in his way is Eric Martel Bahoeli. Known as the hammer from Canada with a record of - won 10 (KO 7) + lost 3 (KO 2) + drawn 0 = 13. Bahoeli is a huge underdog according to the bookies for this fight. Some have him as more of a longshot than Leapai is against Klitschko. In his own words though Bahoeli says "I have been an underdog maybe 3 times before, so this is nothing new to me". He is ranked 48 in the world and 2nd, behind Stiverne in the Canadian rankings.

What Bahoeli perhaps lacks in ability/experience he makes up for with confidence. This is what he said to Hatton Promotions -"I think I will cause another upset, I know he [Browne] is a hard puncher because he has a good record, but I think I'm too fast for him. He's a very tough guy and so am I so I expect a hard fight, but I think my chances are much better than people are saying. I've had 11 weeks of training for this fight, which is more than I've had for any other fight, and I think Browne will be surprised by how fast and strong I am."

Lucas Brown is also confident going into this fight and hasn't ruled out the prospect of a decision, although that seems very unlikely - "I'm not a fan of judges' decisions, but I don't mind having to go the distance, I don't go looking for knockouts, but this is heavyweight boxing and I can win a fight with one punch. I know Bahoeli is a big boy who likes to come forward and brawl. I'm not planning on giving him the chance to make it his fight, though."

Lucas has a record of won 19 (KO 17) + lost 0 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 19 and is clearly being moved by his team towards a shot for the world title in the very near future. A fight I and many others would dearly love to see, before that there are a lot of other fights out there to keep himself in the public eye - Thompson is fighting Takam next, perhaps a fight against the winner in an eliminator? Or fight the winner of Fury Vs Chisora, perhaps even Stiverne or Arreola? Of course there is also Wilder to put into the mix...

Whilst like any fight especially a heavyweight fight Bahoeli has a chance, I don't think it is much of a chance and I would be very surprised if he managed to survive past 5 rounds against Browne.

A 5th round stoppage win for Lucas after a slight scare would be my outside bet, however I think Lucas will pass this stepping stone a lot earlier.

I wish them both well...

“I’m not a fan of judges’ decisions, but I don’t mind having to go the distance,” he said. “I don’t go looking for knockouts, but this is heavyweight boxing and I can win a fight with one punch.
“I know Bahoeli is a big boy who likes to come forward and brawl. I’m not planning on giving him the chance to make it his fight, though.”

Read more at http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2014/browne-hoping-for-sheffield-support/#ToDOOA1zBBc82WpE.99

Monday, 21 April 2014

Does Leapai have any chance Vs Klitschko?

Is It "The Lionheart's" Time?

Klitschko Vs Leapai - Oberhausen, Germany, Sat 26th April.

Wladimir Klitschko is the heavyweight champ of the world and has dominated his weight class for over a decade. He has a lot of critics, there are those who think his style is poor, there are others that say he is a champ in a very poor era.

Whatever the thoughts and opinions the facts state a record for the WBO, WBO "Super", IBF, WBA "Super", The Ring and IBO Heavyweight champ which reads 61 wins - 3 losses, 51 wins by KO. Those are the stats of a champ which must be taken seriously and who, in my opinion, must be respected.

Wlad has a huge advantages in weight, height and experience over his next opponent. Far too much for many to even care about this fight. BoxNation in the UK have decided against showing it and instead it will be shown free on Eurosport in the UK.

In recent fights Klitschko has decided to use his sizable adavantages to jab and hold/push down his opponents into submission whilst sending most of the watching world into a very deep sleep. This is where the heart of the criticism against him lives. He has ability and a huge amount of power yet doesn't "use" it. Is this a fear being taken out with a single shot? A lot of people in the fight game believe him to have a glass jaw, his 3 losses all coming from a TKO, perhaps Leapai can find out and answer this question once and for all?

Alex Leapai is the much travelled (some would say journeyman) fighter from Samoa via Australia. There is little much known about him outside his the southern hemisphere, perhaps this is about to change...

His last fight was against Denis Boytsov in an eliminator for the WBO mandatory shot, not many gave him a chance. Importantly though he did, winning with a unanimous decision over 10 rounds.

His record of 30 wins - 4 losses & 3 draws , 24 wins by KO looks alright on paper, yet you have to remember the last of those losses came against the very limited fighter Kevin Johnson in 2012 via a 9th round TKO. If "Kingpin" can stop him what chance does he have against the current best active heavyweight on the planet?

Leapai is 6 foot Vs Klitschko's 6ft 6in, he weighs around 235 pounds Vs Klitschko's 245 and has only had just over half the amount of rounds Vs Klitschko's record and against much less able opponents too. His fight before Boytsov was against the world number 170, hardly fills you with confidence of his chances or with the desire to watch it? Looks like a Klitschko walk over? Perhaps?

One thing you can not doubt is Leapai's supreme confidence going into this fight, he has been quoted in the couriermail.com as saying -

“I’m really fired up to win this. I’m going to prove to the world that anyone can turn their life around and be successful if they work hard and surround themselves with good people.

“I want people in 100 years to remember that a Samoan-born Aussie came out of nowhere and beat one of the best heavyweights of all time. It’s been a long road to get to this stage but I will make sure the long ride has been worth it.’’

“Alex will be physically much stronger than Klitschko and he will hit much harder than him, too,’’ Dan Tewson (Leapai's strength coach) said. “He really believes in himself and that’s half the battle already won.’’

Leapai has power that is true, some will say he hasn't fought anyone of any stature, I would bet those same people say Deontay Wilder is the future. The same accusation could be aimed there - another time though. The point is Leapai has been given his shot as a mandatory and whether people agree or disagree, Wlad has almost always fought his mandatory irrespective of the abuse and/criticism he receives for it and this mandatory carries power.

Klitschko has recently said he wishes to remain unbeaten for many years to come yet and surpass the undefeated 12 year reign of Joe Louis, however he has also said that his thoughts are very much with his brother Vitali, the people The Ukraine and their current struggle.

Recently telling couriermail.com -

“It’s a bizarre situation, My body has been training at the camp in Austria, but my mind is often with my brother and our compatriots in Ukraine.” adding ominously -

“I am still extremely hungry and better than ever. A few years ago, I thought I couldn’t improve, but my mission is still a long way from over. I want to box on for ten more years. I feel the combination of experience, athletic-ability, technique and strategy makes me the complete professional.”

So we have the best heavyweight of his generation against one of the alphabet challengers. Does Leapai stand any chance?

Yes, of course he does, this is boxing, heavyweight boxing.

For those who have seen Leapai fight you will know that he has devastating hooks and uppercuts. Should he be able to throw one which connects with Wlad during or just after a "clinch" then the fight will fall in his favour. He has to get beyond Klitschko's jab however, which will be difficult and will more than likely mean having to feel it on more than a few occasions. If, and that is a huge if, he can get beyond that he has a chance.

Leapai has to stay disciplined against Klitschko. One mistake and he will be punished. One lunge or one defensive error and Klitschko's power could mean the end of the night for Alex.

I think it is going to be a very boring opening 3 or 4 rounds for the casual fan, the purist might liken it to a game of chess. As the fight progresses I see a lot of the Klitschko jab and clinches and pushing down on the smaller man however, eventually I see an explosive finish - Will Leapai be crowned the first Australian heavyweight champ for 106 years ? - I think there is every possibility that he may be.

I wish them both well...

Thursday, 9 January 2014

Three Heavyweights With A Big 2014 Coming Up.

The future looks bright for these three...

So 2014 is upon us and it's looking like a great year is instore for the heavyweight division.

Let's recap on the five I wrote about last Jan...

The five I said would have big years in 2013 were Lucas Browne (now on the brink of the commonwealth title and a possible world title shot). Tyson Fury (one fight last year thanks to the celebrity that is Haye). David Price (who had a big 2013, sadly for him for all the wrong reasons). Robert Helenius (who like Fury only had the one fight last year, however his inactivity was due to injury) and Magomed Abdusalamov who is currently on a very long hard road to recovery after he went into a coma following his last fight in November - I wish him well.

This year I have chosen 3 that I think will have a big year in 2014 - Lucas Browne, Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder.

Lucas Browne.

Ranked No 11 by the WBC, Lucas had five fights in 2013, four of which ended before the final bell. The one which went the distance was his UD over 12 rounds against former three-weight world champion James Toney, which was for the lightly regarded WBF title. The highlight of his year was his win against the highly regarded Richard Towers in an eliminator for the commonwealth title, which Browne won by 5th round TKO.

Browne's record now stands at 19 fights, 19 wins, 17 KOs (11 of which have been in the first 3 rounds). After his win over Towers he was next fight should have been against David Price for his Commonwealth Belt, however Price vacated all his titles, while he trys to rebuild his career in Germany with the Sauerland team.

Browne is due to fight for the vacant title in Victoria on the 3rd April. As yet no opponent has been named for the fight, however out of those mentioned and available I fully expect Browne to win and win well. That then leaves his next step...

Last year there was talk of a possible fight with Alex Leapai, however that fight may well be a thing of the past now, especially as Leapai has done a remarkable job in manoeuvring himself into the mandatory challenger for Wlad's WBO belt, a fight expected to take place around April time. Aussie boxing is certainly on the up.

Lucas has been mentioned in dispatches by both Wilder and Fury in recent months as a possible fight. Whilst I think Wilder is being moved in a different direction, I could see Browne fighting the winner of the possible Fury Vs Chisora fight, which could also be a elimination bout for a shot at one of the titles as mandatory. Once he has fought for the commonwealth a fight Vs Mike Perez would be a good match up.

Lucas has come far in a fairly short period of time. When I wrote a similiar article Jan he was the outsider, now he is very much a main player. Most of what he has achieved has been through his own efforts and without the benefit of a settled corner team, especially a trainer. Once this is solved then I see nothing but great things for Browne. Future Champion Of The World? In my humble opinion - Yes, no doubt.

Derek Chisora.

Chisora has kept himself busy in 2013. He has shown himself to have been fitter and sharper than he has ever been which has resulted in all four of his fights being TKO stoppage wins. Picking up four belts along the way (WBA International Title, WBO International Title, EBU European Title & WBA inter-continental Title), whilst also getting himself ranked in the top 15 by all four of the major bodies, which is no mean feat - No 6 by the WBC, No 14 by the WBA, No 7 by the IBF & No 2 by the WBO - Impressive.

Chisora's next fight is against Andriy Rudenko in his first defence of his European title. Rudenko has an impressive record on paper of 16 KOs from 24 wins and is classed as "The Klitschko" clone, however he has never fought outside the Ukraine before and whilst anything is possible with one punch in the heavys, I don't see him beating Chisora. (Chiora's opponent was replaced by the durable Kevin Johnson who he fights on 15th Feb).

Next up it is looking very likely that there will be a rematch between Fury and Chisora. Frank Warren would have you believe it is going to be an eliminator fight, it won't be, it would however be a fascinating fight. The original fight in 2011 was for the Commonwealth Title and saw a hugely out of shape Chisora lose to a UD over 12 rounds. With his renewed focus, I see a very different result this time around should the fight happen.

Of course however, with Chisora being ranked with all four of the main bodies he has a lot of options open to him and perhaps Fury needs him more, Chisora and Warren could go in a different direction and may look at a possible fight with Jennings who is also ranked in the top 15 by all four bodies.

If Chisora can keep his focus then the world is his oyster, he took Vitali to 12th round decision in 2012 and has been in with some top fighters. Of the three I highlight in this article he is perhaps the most experienced, his record is 19 fights, 15 wins, 13 by KO.

Deontay Wilder.

Deontay Wilder is perhaps the dark horse of the three, whilst also possibly the most likely to destroy all challengers no matter if the name is Browne, Chisora or Klitschko. The problem with Wilder is that no-one really knows how good he is yet. He has an incredibly impressive record of 30 fights winning all by KO which can not be taken away, even if the quality of those fighters can be called into question. You can only beat what's in front of you. He is, like Chisora ranked by all four of the world bodies - No 3 WBC, No 7 WBA, No 11 IBF & No 4 WBO.

Wilder has called out Fury lately via twitter, whilst Fury has returned fire, Chisora has called out Wilder via an online open letter and has been told by Wilder to wait his turn, whilst Browne has been mentioned by all them simply replying he'll fight them all. So what next for Wilder?

Wilder has said recently that he would like to fight Tyson Fury in his next fight, although I don't think either people's handlers would want that fight without a belt on the line. Most likely for Wilder is for him to fight the winner of the Stiverne Vs Arreola rematch who will be fighting for the WBC belt vacated by Vitali, would he win a fight against one of those 2 fighters? Wilder certanly thinks he beats Stiverne and has almost gone as far recently to call him a bum.

Both Stiverne and Arreola are more experienced than Wilder as the biggest name on Wilder's "CV" is Siarhei Liakhovich, closely followed by Audley Harrison, however his power can not be taken for granted and is still very much an unknown quantity. Should he beat either Stiverne or Arreola then I could see a big money clash Vs Fury perhaps in late autumn which would put paid to Fury Vs Chisora, yet might open a door for Browne Vs Chisora. If Wilder can live up the hype, which seems to grow louder with each passing day, then he will be awesome, I am keeping my powder dry for the time being...

So having started out with the intention of writing just about three fighters, I have ended up mentioning 8 heavyweights who could all have a big say in the 2014 heavyweight scence. Of them all I think Chisora is most likely the best boxer, yet in the heavys that is not always the be all and end all, which is why I find it such a great division.

I wish them all well...

Saturday, 26 October 2013

Browne Vs Towers - Heavyweight Commonwealth Eliminator.

"Big Daddy" Vs "The Inferno" - 2nd November, Hull.

Richard Towers - Lucas Browne

Next Saturday will hopefully be 3rd time lucky for both Browne and Towers to fight for the chance to face David Price for his Commonwealth Title, with this fight having been postponed twice before, it is a fight I am very much looking forward too.

6′ 4″ Browne brings a record of 17 fights, 17 wins, 15 by KO and is currently ranked 15th by the WBC. His last fight was in July against Travis Walker, a fight that Lucas won in the 7th after dropping Walker 3 times, however he was dropped himself in the first round.

6′ 8″ Towers has a record of 14 fights, 14 wins, 11by KO and is the former EBU- EU heavyweight champ. His last fight was against Tony Gregory for that belt back in June 2012. Many think that ringrust will play an issue with Richard having been out of the ring for so long, however having been busy as a sparring partner with both Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye, I'm not sure that will be a major problem.

Outside the ring both Lucas and Richard are good friends and have sparred several times with each other, however come fight night that will be put to one side as they fight to get that shot at Price. Lucas had this to say to V2Boxing about the bout - “Towers was a complete gentleman when I was last here and we got along very well. I don't want to be fighting Towers but we both understand it has to be done and this is the sport we have chosen. We sparred a few times and I'm sure we have both taken something from those exchanges, but in saying that, it was a while ago now and I know I've improved ten fold from then so it will be interesting. I'm pumped to finally get this fight because I want the Commonwealth title. I don't really care where the fight is, as long as I get a chance to fight for the belt and get a chance to show the world what I can do. I've got a decent following over here and I'm very thankful to the UK fans for getting behind me like they have. When it comes to fight time it doesn't matter where I am, I'm there to do what I do best”.

Matt Clarke (Browne's manager) had this to say to Hatton Promotions, (Ricky Hatton is the promotor for both fighters) - "It certainly is third time lucky, I believe we're going to see a career best performance from Lucas. He's preparing extremely well, without any distractions and he's ready for this next step. His fan base in the UK and Ireland is growing rapidly and a good performance here might see him face defending Commonwealth champion David Price in his next bout."

Richard Towers is certainly looking forward to the fight saying - "I have been hanging in limbo since the Australia fight was called off. I was supposed to fight Johann Duhaupas and that didn't happen so I'm excited about the fight with Lucas being on again. I don't want to slag Lucas off because he's a good guy and I consider him a friend but I think he is getting carried away with the stars a little because he's banging these guys out"

Whether the winner of this fight will actually face David Price in 2014 for the title is very much up for debate and we will have to wait to see what Price's next move is going to be.

This is certainly going to be an interesting fight and is a clash of styles. Browne goes forward at every opportunity, whilst Towers, likes to use his reach to keep others at bay. With a 4" height advantage Towers is going to attempt to use his reach and his jab to keep the big hitting Lucas at bay, however I feel if Lucas can get inside and work to the body he will get some great success, eventually he'll get to the chin of Towers and that will be that.

So yes, whilst this is a tight fight on paper I believe that Lucas will have too much power for Towers and whilst the loser of this fight will have a tricky road back it certainly won't be the end of the road, not yet...

I wish them both well.

Monday, 29 July 2013

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...

Friday, 5 July 2013

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...