British boxing is thriving at present, with the world champion number well into double digits, and the UK has a lot of talent in the glamour division: heavyweight. Tyson Fury is of course THE heavyweight champion, while talented would-be megastar Anthony Joshua holds the IBF belt. Along with this, Great Britain has a number of top contenders at heavyweight. But who are the 5 best British big men on the scene right now?
Sky Sports asked one of these very fighters, David Price, to list his top-5 and he gave, expectedly, an honest appraisal of his countrymen. Price, who returned to winning ways on May 29, and hopes for a shot at Joshua this year, listed the following as his current top-5 Brits:
1: Tyson Fury
“I’m not exactly his biggest fan but I am definitely warming to him,” Price said of Fury. “We had our differences in the past and I would love to reignite that rivalry. He is the heavyweight champion of the world and he did everything he said he was going to do. People should remember just what he did: he beat Wladimir Klitschko.”
2: David Haye
“You can only beat what is put in front of you, but unfortunately Haye has been putting them in front of himself,” Price said of “The Hayemaker.” “You cannot deny Haye has been to the top, but the one thing people want now is value for money. He will step it up. His punch power and accuracy are second to none, it’s just the speed that worries me.”
3: Anthony Joshua
“He is only young and 16-0 but there is already a problem: where does A.J go next?” Price said of the man he wants to fight this year. “It is going to need some great match-making because is he ready to take on the very best in the world? He is a work in progress and even he admits that. It all depends on timing and I would probably need a couple more fights, but Joshua will still be the IBF champion so I would love to fight him for that.”
4: David Price
“I have heard of this bloke, he’s a bit of a dark horse,” Price said of himself. “People are saying he’s rubbish but I have a feeling they are getting it all wrong. In all seriousness, I am finally injury-free. I had an elbow problem for years. I wouldn’t put myself on a pedestal just because I lost to two drug cheats bit I am back, I have a new trainer in Dave Coldwell, and it would be nice if something went my way.”
5: Dereck Chisora
“Dereck is a good fighter,” Price said. “His last fight was against Kubrat Pulev and Pulev is in the world’s top five for me and I have done a lot of work with him. Dereck went over and gave it everything, but I still believe he’s got plenty left to offer. I am not saying I am too good to fight Dereck, but after those two defeats, it would be nice – if something went my way for once – to be put back where I was. That would mean I probably wouldn’t fight Dereck. But he is still very good and very tough.”
Price’s picks are decent enough, even if I would probably put Dillian Whyte in there at number-five, instead of Chisora. And some fans may raise eyebrows at the way Price ranks himself as the fourth-best heavyweight in Britain. Still, the UK has some talented and exciting big men, and Price understandably wants to get back in the mix with them. I disagree with Price though – a fight between he and Chisora looks a natural.