By Scott Gilfoid: British promoter Frank Maloney wasn’t all that impressed with IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko’s performance in beating Mariusz Wach (27-1, 15 KO’s) last night in Wladimir’s near shutout perfect 12 round unanimous decision in Hamburg, Germany. It’s unclear what Maloney was looking for other than a KO victory for Wladimir because the big 6’6″ Ukrainian did all you could ask for in giving a royal beating to the lumbering 6’7 1/2″ Wach.
Maloney said to espn “I think on what we have watched tonight, both of them [David Price and Tyson Fury] stand a chance of beating a Klitschko. After two fights he [Price] would be ready. When Pricey hits someone he wants to finish them. I believe David Price can beat any heavyweight.”
Maloney promotes Price, and it’s understandable that he would be bragging about him. However, let’s be honest about this. Price won’t stand a chance against Wladimir. Price is too stiff and robotic to beat a guy like Wladimir or his brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.
It’s kind of silly to even be talking about a fighter like Price getting a title shot because he’s not even ranked in the top 15 fight now and he’s not going to be getting a title shot after two more fights. That’s not going to happen. I mean, look at who Price is still being matched against: 40-year-old Audley Harrison and 45-year-old Matt Skelton. Price faces Skelton in December and boxing fans were hoping that Maloney would finally put Price in with a quality fighter given that price is 29-years-old and a former Olympic bronze medalist.
Instead, Maloney is matching Price like he’s a young fighter without the Olympic experience and he’s wasting valuable time. Some fans see what Maloney is doing as a strategic move to try and wait out Wladimir until he gets old enough for Price to beat him. Other fans think that Maloney is going to wait until Wladimir retires and then have Price try and move in to capture the vacant belt.
Price isn’t going to be ready to beat Wladimir in two fights, and neither is Tyson Fury. Those guys are a long ways off towards winning any titles, and I see them basically as fighters that could potentially pick up paper titles someday in the absence of Wladimir and his brother.
There’s really a tiny window for Maloney to try and get Price in as a champion because once the young talent Deontay Wilder is at a full head of steam, he’s going to be replacing Wladimir and holding down all the title belts. Maloney is going to be kicking himself if he doesn’t try and move Price in quick to go after at least the WBA champion Alexander Povetkin before Wilder is ready to claim Wladimir’s titles.
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