Time For Price To Retire

Price has been knocked senseless twice (albeit by drug cheats in both cases) and has shown serious stamina issues in his other 2 defeats. It seems the guy was made for amateur boxing - sadly his Professional credentials never matched up to what he achieved in the unpaid ranks. He has problems with endurance - it seems anything over 5 rounds and the guy is blowing harder than me after a training session with the England Rugby Team (Note - I do not, nor likely ever will do this - it is merely a description of how unfit Price is).

Granted he has huge power when he times it correctly, but 4 losses against fringe contenders at best will not make him a heavyweight champ.

So what now? Does retirement beckon? He has a few options. He seems a nice enough and fairly knowledgeable guy - perhaps he could try a bit of commentating. He could become a British level gatekeeper. He's dangerous for a few rounds so would be a good marker for up and coming heavies needing a chin check. Or perhaps he could always put himself forward for the next 3 "Prizefighter" tournaments. For 3 rounds, this guy would most likely be the bookies' favourite. He could win the tounament too. Or he could become a doorman. Or a film star - he has more screen presence than Haye at least

Definitely should retire

You can't just fight for 3 rounds

Thought someone had bumped an old thread there.

I hope he sticks around. His fights are generally interesting. He needs to sort out his conditioning, or find a way to box around it. He used to come in looking in fairly good nick only to gas pretty badly. His size probably makes boxing at any sort of a pace difficult to sustain and I think he burns up a lot of energy in nerves.

Hes an ordinary fighter, but if Big Daddy Browne is capable of winning a world title then there is still hope.

I'm not one to go over the top, call him a bum and demand he retire etc. He's a prize fighter and this is his chosen profession, if every professional retired after every career failure there'd be nobody at work.

But, he needs to take a serious, hard look at himself and what he wants to do. Has he really got what it takes to achieve what he did like and is he happy to settle for less?

Personally, I think his corner have a lot to answer too.I think they bear most of the blame, although Coldwell has been quick to deflect the blame saying he was in great condition he just froze and locked up with stress.

Now, it's been clear to us all he seems to suffer nerves and it is true that this could be the issue, although not totally convinced myself. It's hard to not draw a link between him being his heaviest weight and 30lb heavier than his 'prime' and his stamina issues.

But, anyway, if their reasons are true and we have all seen evidence, then surely their strategy should have been simple. Get in a psychologist, train like hell and get him out boxing as frequently as possible.

I understand they got a psychologist but they took ages to get him back into the ring and he only fought a few times a year. He should have been fighting every month, gaining confidence etc.

Anyway, it's a sad way to go but I wish the big fella the best which ever career option he decides.

It's a conundrum. If truth be told he was starting to gas in the 3rd round. He has boxed points wins before so his conditioning can't be that bad. I think it's due to his punch resistance. Ok he showed he didn't crumple at the first punch but it looks like he takes forever to recover when he gets hit. His opponent wasn't much better and the punches he was throwing were from the arm and he could barely throw them. But soon as he he got hit he looked completely different. His arms waving around like spaghetti and legs looked stiff.

Just my opinion but yes hope he hangs around but I don't think he should he pushed into anymore tough fights as he could get hurt which nobody wants to see. Just imagine if he got the AJ fight? Woukd have been a massacre.

I think the matchmaking with Price has been ok, he was a decent favourite even in his defeats. He just hasnt been good enough to win against pretty mediocre opponents.

Hard to say why his conditioning is suspect. I dont think its weight. The extra poundage was designed to make him a bit more robust I think (didnt really work). Possibly its just a case of when the going gets tough in a fight and he has to dig deep, he comes up empty and doesnt have what it takes to gut it out. Fatigue can be mental as well as physical.

I'm not denying he has been favourite or his conditioning issues but an enigma.

But, if handling a fighter with a fragile mental state I'd assume it's necessary to build him up gradually, especially after a loss.

They simply didn't 'get him on the bike' quick enough or get him winning often enough to build up his confidence, in my unqualified opinion, after losses. There were only two fights, over a period of a year, between losing to Teper and this Saturday.

But, ultimately as you say, maybe he just didn't have it?

I guess at the age he is at, with time not on his side, they might feel they cant afford to spend too much time facing push overs. I remember years back when Price was at the height of his promise and the future looked bright I watched him interviewed and he was saying that he had gambled on boxing because he didnt have a great deal to fall back on outside of it. So they probably want to try go for the better pay days (he was angling hard for a lucrative Joshua fight on the back of a sparring story when Joshua was a kid). I suspect he probably looks ok in training but once he is in a fight and he starts to feel its going to become hard work then he starts to mentally check out and lose the stomach for it which causes him to fade prematurely. A run of easy fights might boost his confidence but I have a feeling he just doesnt have the toughness and once a fighter he is in against starts putting up resistance and hurting him then he will go to pieces again.

Possible, probably. It does seem a bit as if his corner have seen something and tried to cash in.

Certainly the hammer and 2nd Thompson fights were very odd. Apparently on top, had their man down and promptly folded.

My issue was not that they took a meaningful fight in a year but more they didn't pack more confidence building fights in between.

Doesn't look like he was meant to be a boxer though.

He should go on the juice, should help his stamina and his resistance. He could increase his power, his recovery time would be much better. He could train more as a result. Cram 6 month of work into a 12 week training camp, perfecting technique. Seems a no brainer

Good idea Jim... and he might finally fit in that suit as a bonus.

Where does price find a suit that's too big for him? I'm assuming it's an off the shelf, xxxxxxxxl at the supersize me store. If it's bespoke, he needs a new tailor.

I think price burns up loads of nervous energy and it just saps him. Or he's a lazy Cnut. That's my alternate theory.

milkyboy wrote:I think price burns up loads of nervous energy and it just saps him. Or he's a lazy Cnut. That's my alternate theory.

Bruno was the same...Tense....

Happytravelling wrote:I'm not one to go over the top, call him a bum and demand he retire etc. He's a prize fighter and this is his chosen profession, if every professional retired after every career failure there'd be nobody at work.

But, he needs to take a serious, hard look at himself and what he wants to do. Has he really got what it takes to achieve what he did like and is he happy to settle for less?

Personally, I think his corner have a lot to answer too.I think they bear most of the blame, although Coldwell has been quick to deflect the blame saying he was in great condition he just froze and locked up with stress.

Now, it's been clear to us all he seems to suffer nerves and it is true that this could be the issue, although not totally convinced myself. It's hard to not draw a link between him being his heaviest weight and 30lb heavier than his 'prime' and his stamina issues.

But, anyway, if their reasons are true and we have all seen evidence, then surely their strategy should have been simple. Get in a psychologist, train like hell and get him out boxing as frequently as possible.

I understand they got a psychologist but they took ages to get him back into the ring and he only fought a few times a year. He should have been fighting every month, gaining confidence etc.

Anyway, it's a sad way to go but I wish the big fella the best which ever career option he decides.

I thought that Coldwell was poor in the corner- between one round he seemed to be encouraging Price to continue pushing out that pathetic pawing jab when it was clear that it was doing nothing but encouraging Hammer to walk through it and unload. I have no issue with using a pawing jab as a measuring stick if you then follow it with decent right hands, but if the opponent isn't held off by it , it doesn't work. I was screaming a price to get working behind a fast solid jab that would have discouraged Hammer, and set up the right man. In the end he reminded me of Audley - absolutely no conviction in his ability.