Heavyweight David Price ESPN’s Prospect of the Year

By Scott Gilfoid: ESPN has made unbeaten heavyweight David Price (15-0, 13 KO’s) their prospect of the year despite Price’s advanced age of 29. Price won the award by knocking out 40-year-old Audley Harrison, 45-year-old Matt Skelton, Sam Sexton, John McDermott and Tom Dallas, among other 2nd and 3rd tier opposition. Price is scheduled to fight 41-year-old Tony Thompson on February 23rd.

I don’t agree with this choice at all, because Price is knocking older guys that have already been beaten numerous times and he’s still not faced anyone with power. Price struggled as amateur when facing guys with big power, and we’ve not seen him face anyone with even a hint of any power since he turned pro four years ago.
Here some of the other prospects that ESPN has for the year:

Deontay Wilder
Carl Frampton
Scott Quigg
Demetrius Adrade
Magomed Abdusalamov
Jose Benavidez
Randy Caballero
Jarmell Charlo
Sergey Kovalev
Jessie Magdaleno
Javier Fortuna
Bryant Jennings
Ivan Redkach
Antonio Orozo
Edwin Rodriguez
Gary Russell Jr
Angelo Santana
Keith Thurman

I see Thurman, Russell Jr., Rodriguez and Abduslamov as being the best of that bunch by far. I’m not sure if the other guys will pan out because they have too many flaws.

Wilder, 27, is my choice as the prospect of the year because he has the most potential of all the fighters on the list. With his huge power, long reach, fast hands and incredible athleticism, I think he can go a lot farther in the sport than anyone on that list. I also believe that Wilder is a much better fighter than Price and I see him knocking him out if they were to ever fight.

Wilder’s right hand is just too powerful, and I can’t see Price being able to take more than one or two of those big right hands before getting knocked out. Price does have good power, but not the kind of power that knocks you out quickly. He’d have to be able to take Wilder’s right hand for many rounds before he would have a chance to beat him and the problem is I can’t see Price being able to take Wilder’s shots for more than one round if that.