Friday, 2 March 2012

Price: Fury ran away, 'I've moved on!'

You might find it a little bit hard to believe that a boxer who stands at almost seven foot tall, has been fighting all of his life and boasts a record of 17-0, would be one to run away. That's exactly the claim that rising British prospect David Price is alleging however. Fury, who last month vacated his British heavyweight title rather than face the mandatory challenger in Price, has received widespread criticism for neglecting facing off in a fight that could have determined the best in Britain. Instead he chose to fight Martin Rogan in order to prove he is the best Irish fighter around. The challenger that he left behind in Price, who is also undefeated, believes there was only one motive in his decision. 

Fury, who relinquished his belts rather than fight Price.
David Price's promoter, Frank Maloney, branded Fury a coward, stating: "He has let himself, his fans, his travelling community and most of all the boxing world down." Fury himself denied leaving the belts because he did not want to place his road to success in jeopardy by fighting Price. However, the chances are that the decision to vacate the titles weren't made by Fury at all, but rather his back room team. It's a perfect example of the sorry state that boxing is in. Fury, a fighter who is marketed as being one of Britain's most exciting, due in part down to the fact that he is so flawed his fights usually contain knock downs to both boxers, is being dubbed a potential candidate in line for a shot at the Klitschko's. If you ask me, you might as well send a tabby cat in to fight with a lion. 

Price on the other hand seems more than happy to compete for the English titles, even though the plans for a domestic mega-fight have been dashed. Now that Fury has abandoned his belts, it gives the next best placed two a shot at competing, and with Derek Chisora facing a lengthy ban, Price is in pole position. Ironically, the man who will be standing in the other corner when it comes time to fight for the British titles, will be none other than Sam Sexton, who of course has lost twice to Chisora but already beaten Martin Rogan, Fury's next opponent. If it's starting to look like a twisted, somewhat tangled narrative that British heavyweight boxing has been scripted, it's because it is. 

Aside from all the speculation and spotlights surrounding the break down of Fury vs Price, the latter of the two is more than happy to move on with his career. Obviously if the fight had been given the go ahead and Price had of claimed victory, he would have been propelled onto a podium of expectancy not to dissimilar to the one that Fury now sits upon. He doesn't deny that he may have missed out on the opportunity to take the fast-track to the gleaming stadiums inside which the best heavyweights do battle, but he also sees the benefits it can bring. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Klitschko's won't be defeated by a man who doesn't bring something to the table that all of the other victims haven't; world class ability. 

For now, Price has his sights firmly set on his showdown with the dangerous Sam Sexton. For Sexton, it is simply a case of win or disappear, having seen his appellation as Britain's next top boxer scuppered at the hands of Chisora. But Price know's the dangers: "I consider Sam is the best I'll have faced so far. He's a good defensive fighter, he's got good speed and he's going to be dangerous because he's a 17st man and at this weight anything can happen. If people are saying it's his last chance, that makes him more dangerous than ever." Price also confirmed he was 100% over the whole Tyson Fury spectacle, leaving fans in no doubt that he is not looking past his next challenge. 

As far as Tyson Fury is concerned, by dropping his belts and walking away from what would have been the biggest fight of his career to date, he has lost respect. He need only to look back at the last huge domestic fight, which was between David Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli to see the benefits of ultimately putting it all on the line. Haye, who had already signalled his desire to move up to heavyweight, didn't really need to take the fight on against a man who was a proven knock-out artist, but still opted to give the fans what they wanted in one final showdown before his move up. As it transpired, Haye knocked Maccarinelli out in the 2nd round and was propelled from the sort of fighter that only boxing fans would know about, to being the name on most Britain's lips when the word 'boxing' was spoken. Perhaps it is that Fury's team are beginning to realise that although their fighter is good, he isn't that good. Maybe they see the possible match up with Price as an unnecessary one, given that defeat would put a serious obstacle in terms of his bid for a world title shot. To play it the safe way up the ladder is a choice that even his die hard fans will not want to see, but it seems to be the one that Fury and his team have opted for at this moment.
David Price, who has turned his full attention to Sam Sexton.

For Price, things at the moment are looking promising. A high-profile win against Sexton would push him so inadvertently in the face of the giant Fury, that a confrontation in the ring would be almost inevitable. As both men are looking for world glory, isn't it only right that they settle whose best in their own country first?


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