Price's career going nowhere

He is 14-0. He's learning. Skelton, if it happens, is happening in December. That's a fast turnaround. He's hardly "another Povetkin." Povetkin is a protected "world" champion. Price is boxing his way up the rankings - at his own pace.

He's 29. As a HW, he may peak as late as five years from now. At this rate, he will have fought for a world title before then.

People need to chill the **** out about propsects. Fighting for the title at 14-0 is totally abnormal. Lewis was 22-0 when he first fought for a wold title and likley didn't peak until he was 34, 35. Wladimir was 34-1 and didn't peak until he was 33, 34.

Now, at 14-0 and aged 29, Price is "another Povetkin"?

No.

 

Yeah, I would say that's about right. Ali fought for the title at 19-0, I don't think Price will be that far behind him. Comparing him to the greatest HW of all time seems rash though, to say the very least, and about typical of the way prospects are treated around here.

 

Yeah, those fights made Ali mentally I think. He was always special but he was a different man after that first fight.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCXLr619DDk[/ame]

Here is Mike Tyson's 14th opponent, 13-6 Sammy Scaff I'd pick Audley Harrison to beat this guy. Suprising proof that Mike Tyson was "another Povetkin."

 

You should see the guy Tyson fought for his fifteenth opponent...let's just say a 45 year old Matt Skelton would be a heavy favourite to beat him.

Tyson was moved along beautifully. He gathered confidence experience and when he fought for the title he was aboslutely primed. When he was 15-0, like Price, he was fighting opponents he was expected to easily beat. Yes, Tyson was much younger, but Price is in no hurry. He's an athlete, takes care of himself, and has no wear. I wouldn't expect him to start dropping off until he was around 36.

He has some, if not a lot of time, and his style is good for that type of longevity. Skelton is fine. If he's still fighting the same type of guy this time next year? We got a problem.

 

Fighters improve and decline at the same time; their peak is where the tehcnical, tactical and strategic aspects of their boxing meets the nearest high point of their phyiscal prime. But this is different for every type. For Tyson it was far, far more important to be at or near his physical peak to be at his very best; this is not the case for Price who has a style that lends itself, usually, to longevity.

This is because a cornerstone of this style is to control the tempo (sparing his stamina) and is based more upon technical excellence than speed to begin with (though a dramatic drop off will still really hurt, obviously).

But all of this is in his future - we'll see. My point is that those deriding him for facing his fifth opponent in one calander year because that opponent is a weak opponent don't know what they are talking about. It is natural, normal, and of surprise to absolutely nobody in the indsutry.

Next year he will face Fury or someone similar - that's got management. If he continues to fight at this level next year, like I said, we've got a problem.

But that almost certainly won't happen.

 

There is some truth to this, but even ****ing Audley Harrison got five chances or something.

Price's age is not ideal, but it is what it is. There's no changing it. He has to be managed in the correct way, and he is being.