By William Mackay: David Haye doesn’t have a very high yardstick in which to measure the talent and the progress of his fighter unbeaten heavyweight David Price (11-0, 9 KO’s). For Haye, all it will take for the 28-year-old Price to prove that he’s better than the other upcoming heavyweights – Robert Helenius and Tyson Fury – and prove he’s worthy of fighting the Klitschko brothers is for Price to beat domestic level heavyweight Big John McDermott (26-7, 7 KO’s) on January 21st at the Olympia in Liverpool, England.

“In two years’ tie, he will be European champion,” Haye said to the Star. “If he beats McDermott he will prove he’s the best of the rest who can stop the Klitschkos.”

Haye sounds kind of confused. On one hand he’s talking about Price proving he’s better than the other upcoming heavyweight contenders with a win over McDermott, but on the other hand he’s saying in two years Price will be European heavyweight champion. That’s not exactly a vote of confidence for Haye to be thinking that’s all Price will have accomplished two years from now.

Shouldn’t Haye be seeing more from Price than just a European heavyweight title? Why waste Price’s time on the worthless European trinket if he’s supposedly better than the other heavyweight contenders and the guy to beat the Klitschkos? Wouldn’t Price be better off skipping that waste of time to beat up some 2nd round Euro level champion and chase better fighters?

It makes you wonder if Haye really believes Price is better than guys like Helenius and Fury. I do think he’s much, much better than Fury, but Helenius will probably knock him cold. But Haye might as well guide Price into one of those big fights instead of wasting his time with European titles. Price is already 28, and wasting two more years of his career wouldn’t be smart. He’s a big guy and could end up with all kinds of injury problems as he ages. He’s already having injury issues now and he’s only 28.