David Price-Tony Thompson 2 February in Liverpool

I think a lot of this is endemic to the problems within the Heavyweight Division.

Do you fight bums forever, like Deontay Wilder, and Alexander Povetkin?

Or do you rush in for your title shot, like Dereck Chisora?

The fact remains, that people want to see Wlad challenged. Not necessarily lose, but CHALLENGED by a great contender. It's been so long since we had any decent contenders, what people are getting very impatient.

Should Wilder, Price, Fury etc not end up fighting Wlad, then it will be difficult for the Heavyweight Division to gain any meaningful respect. Even with K2, did they really get the chance to make their mark, by beating somebody respected so highly? (Yes, I know, Vitali and Lewis blah blah blah).

But the point is, that partly goes to explain why Wlad doesn't have as much respect as he should. Likewise, how bad would it be for the current crop to become Champions without ever facing the need to fight Wlad? How little respect would they then have???

On the other hand, why should these contenders rush in to fight Wlad, on weak terms, when they are not ready, only to get handed a loss, and fans shouting: This guy doesn't 'deserve' another title shot!

The fact remains, there is a crossroads approaching for the Heavyweight division.

Like it or loathe it, there are some good, good Heavyweight prospects that are turning into contenders. But there are 2 ageing Champions, and one of them definitely won't get the chance to meet these guys.

I think Pulev, Price, Fury, Wilder, and whoever else is hiding out there, are all around 18 months to 2 years away from a title shot.

The question is, will age catch up Wlad by then? Will he have retired?

Or will he still be fighting, un-beaten, and finally be in a position to prove how good/bad he truly is, with several high quality contenders finally step up?

And that's the worry Boxing fans have. We don't have the patience to wait for these guys to mature - We want to see these fights NOW!

But unfortunately, we simply can't. So let's just let these guys develop, and corss our fingers that Wlad is still around in time to face them, when they're ready!

 

Good post. :good

 

Price is 29 and has been boxing for a long time, to say that he needs another 18-24 months is a bit silly. Same with Kubrat Pulev, who's 31. Wlad has been defending his IBF belt since he was 30, it's time for these guys to step it up.

Wilder obviously needs to work on a lot, but Fury is coming along nicely and I think he is ready for a title shot perhaps within a year, year and a half. I don't think he will win, but still.

 

I'm surprised to see all these ignorant posts about how bad tt is. In fact he is a top 15 heavyweight. I give him a good chance to win. Take the young guy deep and stop him.

 

That argument is naive. Every boxer has different development lines, every boxer learns at different rates, every boxer peaks and primes at different times. Oh, he's 30, said boxer was 30 when he did this, or this...doesn't work like that.

It's pretty clear that Price isn't ready, he needs all the experience that he can get before he steps up to World level. No point in rushing it. He has barely even been challenged in the ring so far, but that doesn't mean he should step up as soon as possible. Clearly going for longevity in this brutal sport. Why step up to get knocked out? He knows he isn't ready which is why they haven't rushed. He looks to be a young 30 year old anyway, and it's not like he is going to burn out anytime soon.

 

They shouldn't, both Price and Fury should fight Wlad/Vitali as mandatory challengers, that way they get a decent purse and no rematch options.

Problem is Price is miles away from a mandatory challenger position. Probably 18 months at the minimum, unless he steps up in a huge way asap. We don't really know how close Fury is to a mandatory title shot, we'll know more when Vitali announces his future plans.

 

How much of a TAX does the UK have to pay for importing 42 year old CORPSES these days? Thompson should be banned from performing after his last outing..... :-(

 

Thanks dude! I thought I killed the thread by writing a post with more than one paragraph!

:deal THIS.

Everybody develops at different rates, and yes, some will be ready sooner than others. But only a fool (albeit a brave/greedy one) would take a title shot before they felt ready.

One thing that people don't realise, because of how dead the Heavyweight division is, is that we're on the cusp of another very, very good era. And it's STARTING with the likes of Wilder, Price, and Fury.

All this division needs is another 5 or 6 good young guys (barring the obvious) to come through, and BOOM! We've got the makings of a decent era.

 

For people asking why should I watch the fight? There is gonna be highlight reel knockout that you dont want to miss. Price is gonna get a sensational knock out. He is wrecking everyone with brutal power, people out cold before they even hit ground.

 

I personally could careless about Wlad,I'm a fan but I'm much more interested in watching the brits,euros and americans test the waters against eachover for now.
Some great prospects and some great fights to be made,let them battle it out and prove themselves worthy to face the beast that is Wlad,None of this knocking out
old men and bums in the hopes of being chosen.They need to be making the fights and proving there worth!It's more than annoying seeing prospects fight some no marks
then being fed to Wlad,knocked out and dissapearing into obscurity.

 

its a name on his record and he'll probably look better doing it more impressively and faster than Wlad just did.

 

This for me is a decent match up,not great but a step up compared to the non competitive bouts Price has been in so far. Have to say though,as much as Fury is hated for the hype that follows him and his crazy statements,out of all current prospects,his résumé is the best,this price fight doesn't change that

 

This should be a better fight than Wlad- Mormek, Wlad- Thompson, or Wlad-Wach.

Not that that's saying much.

At least it will somewhat test Price's defense & ring intelligence, since Thompson can still hit. If Price has the brains to make it to the top, then he'll be smart enough not to rush, and give Thompson some respect in the ring. If Price just bullies his way in, totally full of himself, then even if he wins I'll question whether he has the head to make it to champion.

I expect he'll fight a smart fight, staying outside and getting in some much-needed practice on his footwork, not taking Thompson out until the late rounds.

 

Tony Thompson is never the kind of opponent to get anyone excited.
He's gonna paw with his jab and then get Ko'd in 3 or 4 right?

He's old and shot honestly ain't he?

 

Wow, this is a real step up for Price, if he wins I win have to put him ahead of his countryman Fury.