The Price isn’t right: David Price obliterated in Germany

By Daniel Reed - 07/17/2015 - Comments

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By Daniel Reed: Named ESPN’s prospect of the year back in 2012, the sky seemed to be the limit for David Price. Riding a 9 fight knockout streak into 2013, the buzz was beginning to really gather around him, and he seemed, at the time, to be Britain’s best hope of claiming the heavyweight crown–with many rating him above Tyson Fury. The 2006 Commonwealth Games Champion, and a Super-Heavyweight Bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games, Price had the background, and he seemed to have the goods to make it to the top.

Price appeared to be a destructive puncher who was slowly carving his path to the podium of the Heavyweight division as a pro. My how times have radically changed since then.

Tonight in Ludwigsburg MHP Arena in Germany, Price faced heavy-handed Ahlen native, Erkan Teper, for the vacant European Heavyweight Title. It did not go well, in fact it went about as bad as possible. Price looked uncomfortable, and cagey, losing the opening round due to some heavy, eye-catching shots by Teper, and then being brutalized by a single left hook in round 2. The knockout was beautiful to behold really, a right hand by Teper grazed Price’s face, and as Price turned away Teper turned his weight into a picture perfect left hook that landed with lethal precision on the point of Price’s chin. Price was immediately rendered unconscious upon absorbing the blow, and he looked completely limp in crashing to the canvas. The referee waved the fight off effective immediately. It was hard to watch for fans of David Price. But on the bright side, we now have an exciting new heavyweight in Erkan Teper, who has violently seized the torch of contender from David Price, whose career appears to be in tatters at the moment.

This is not the first time this has happened to David Price. The fall from being a contender did not start here. In January of 2013, everything fell apart for David Price, figuratively and literally, as American veteran Tony “The Tiger” Thompson folded him with a southpaw right hook to the temple on the inside. Price rose up from the canvas, but wobbling around like a drunk in Las Vegas on Saturday night isn’t exactly the best way to convince the referee you are good to continue. He lost a TKO in the second round that night, and he lost his unbeaten record. A mere months later, Thompson crushed him again in the rematch. This time by pounding Price into submission to secure a 5th round TKO win. Ever since then, Price’s career has taken a nosedive, and it’s hard to imagine him climbing his way back up the ladder even to where he was before the Thompson fights. It is safe to say that the Liverpudlian may have to seriously consider retirement from the sport of boxing. Price is an easy man to root for. He is a gentleman and one of boxing’s nice guys. But it has to be said that it’s hard to see where Price could be marketable as a real contender now.

Erkan Teper of Germany has true marketability, and though it can be argued that Price hasn’t been the same since the Thompson fights, the manner in which Teper took him out of there was quite impressive and made a statement. With a record of 15-0, with 10 of those coming by knockout, Teper is physically strong, resilient, and has good punching power. He shall be fun to watch in the future. Teper should be involved in some highly entertaining fights during his career due to his come-forward style and his one-punch power. For Price, we can only hope he recovers from this well, inside the ring and out. It’s nearly impossible to conceive Price coming back from this to be involved in fights of significance in boxing. However you can’t help but root for the nice guys like David Price. All my best to the man from Liverpool, who now has some serious thinking to do about his career.



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