By Scott Gilfoid: Boxing fans are starting to wonder what’s going on with British heavyweight champion David Price (14-0, 12 KO’s). They wonder why he’s not fighting better opposition at his advanced age of 29 and with all of his Olympic experience. Fans don’t understand why the 6’8″ Price is fighting guys like 40-year-old Audley Harrison and now 45-year-old Matt Skelton (28-6, 23 KO’s) on December 8th rather than some live bodies that could actually help Price in his development.

At 29, Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko had both already been world champions, and here Price is still limping along in the slow lane with his career fighting the likes of Harrison and Skelton. Is there something wrong with this picture? Is an example of someone with a failure to launch?

Price tried to give his reasons to Boxing News as quoted by Sky Sports “Skelton was given a guarantee he would fight me. He was on standby in case Harrison pulled out. He went through that part of the deal so we’ll go through with ours…I’m still learning.’

Okay, question: Why in the heck was a 45-year-old 2nd tier fighter like Skelton the standby fighter for a 40-year-old Audley Harrison? What is up with this match-making? Doesn’t Price’s promoter Frank Maloney have faith in him that he can beat younger guys in their 20s or at least in their early 30s? What’s this thing about 40-year-old?

I wish I could say that this will be the last time that Price fights a soft touch, but I can see Price continuing with the easy fights after he beats 45-year-old Skelton on December 8th. To me, it just looks like Price and his promoter are trying to wait out the Klitschkos until they get too old to fight, and retire. It’s clever if that’s what they’re doing but what a waste. By the time Price finally fights for a world title, Deontay Wilder will be at the top and Price isn’t going to get past him, not ever.

Can you imagine what Wilder would do to Price if he lands one of his huge right hands on his fragile chin? It wouldn’t be pretty, believe me. We’d be seeing 6’8”, 250 pound Price collapsing on the canvas in a heap once Wilder unloads one of his right hand bombs. This is why I feel that Price should be pushed along at a much faster pace to get his payday fight – and his loss – agaisnt the Klitschkos before the other young talents like Wilder and Seth Mitchell mature more and take over the division.