British heavyweight David Price has encountered yet another bad news setback in a once-promising career filled with them. The big, powerful and likeable Liverpool puncher was last seen being stopped by Christian Hammer in February, in a slugfest that saw “Pricey” also inflict an amount of punishment, and he hoped to get back to winning ways next Saturday (Sept. 16).
Price, the former British heavyweight champ, was to have fought experienced journeyman Raphael Zumbano Love (who had vowed to KO Price and end his career once and for all) but a hand injury has forced the former Olympian to pull out of the fight. Price has suffered injuries before now and he himself is very disappointed at having to withdraw from his fight, which would have taken place on the under-card of the Erik Skoglund-Callum Smith quarter final of the WBSS tournament.
“I’m disappointed that I’ve have been forced to pull out of the fight,” Price told The Liverpool Echo. “I hurt my hand, though, and I’m not ready to go into a fight after making that mistake last time.”
Price had been working with a new team, consisting of former champ Derry Matthews and Joe McNally and George Vaughan, and he was eager to put the Hammer loss behind him. Still, many fans have already written Price off; they did so after he suffered stoppage losses at the hands of Tony Thompson (twice) and Erkan Teper – both men later failing drugs tests it must not be forgotten.
It would have been interesting to see if Price could, maybe, re-establish himself as a heavyweight contender. The odds were/are against him, yes, but Price carries the kind of lethal punching power that makes him a dangerous threat to anyone he fights; even now, with those four crushing, heartbreaking defeats on his pro record.
It’s unclear how severe the hand injury is, and maybe Price will embark on comeback number-three (or is it number-four?) later this year or early next. It might sound crazy, but even now, Price against a returning David Haye, or even a returning (if he ever does return) Tyson Fury would be fights that would have an element of intrigue to them.