Tony Thompson isn’t a step up fight for David Price

By Boxing News - 11/30/2012 - Comments

Image: Tony Thompson isn't a step up fight for David PriceBy Scott Gilfoid: It’s looking like unbeaten heavyweight David Price (15-0, 13 KO’s) will be taking his padded record into a fight against 41-year-old Tony Thompson (36-3, 24 KO’s) in February. Thompson, 6’5″, is being mentioned as the possible next opponent for the 6’8″ Price, and a lot of Price’s boxing fans see this as a big step up fight for Price.

I hate to rain on Price’s parade, but Thompson is not a step anymore, he’s more of a straight step for Price from 45-year-old Skelton to 41-year-old Thompson. This would have been a step up for Price four years ago when Thompson was still looking good and fighting on a high level, but his fight against Wladimir Klitschko last July proved that Thompson isn’t the same fighter he was in the past. He looks so much slower now, and he doesn’t throw punches like he used to.

If you look at his fight with Wladimir you’ll notice that Thompson threw next to zero shots. It was like watching Price’s mismatch against Skelton tonight, only worse because Thompson wasn’t coming forward like Skelton was trying to make a fight of it.

A fight against Thompson is going to be another wasted fight for Price because he’s not going to get the real world experience that he needs to be competitive against the younger, more offensive fighters in the heavyweight division. Price, 29, has been fighting old heavyweights lately with little offensive skills. Price has faced two 40-year-olds in a row now, and if he faces Thompson in February, it’ll be three 40-year-olds.

Price isn’t getting the kinds of opposition that he needs to for him to compete against the world class contenders/champions in the division. Yeah, Price will probably destroy Thompson in February, but what happens then? Price will be completely lost if he goes from a fight against Thompson to a fight against Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko.

Heck, Price will be lost if he goes from Thompson to Kubrat Pulev. You put Price in with someone that doesn’t topple over in two rounds, and who hits him back hard with power shots, and I’m bet you we’ll see Price hanging on the ropes like a big spider like he was in the Olympics when Italy’s Roberto Cammarelle took Price out in only two rounds.



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