Price's career going nowhere

After he fights Skelton,he will have had a grand total of 15 fights.

Who had Vitali fought after 15 fights?

I expect 2013 to be a big year for Price.

 

This is pretty much what I was saying. But Price won't have the experience to have the "tehcnical, tactical and strategic" aspects.
It's his 4th opponent, not his fifth. This is a completely normal progression in terms of who he is fighting for someone with this number of fights.
There isn't a better available British opponent to defend the title against.
My point is that, because the 14 fights have been over a long period of time and he is nearly 30, the schedule needed to be adjusted and speeded up.

He's going to be going from skelton and Harrison to a top 10 ranked fighter, that is not a good gradual progression, he's going to have to take a huge leap in quality because he's spent too long in getting this far. Not in terms of the number of fights, but the time frame of 3 3/4 years to get to this point.

 

Well let's face it, Helenius is a step ahead of Price development-wise. But he's also coming off an injury.

If all goes well for Price he could fight Helenius by the end of 2013. I'd favor Helenius, he's not a great boxer but we've seen him fight top 20 opponents and take them out. Haven't seen enough from Prince yet.

In general Price shouldn't be too concerned with getting big fights too quickly. He can safely stick with the Sam Peters and Audley Harrisons just to test himself slowly and grow his confidence.

 

If we look at other boxers about Price's age and have been pro for a similar time period;

Pulev, 17-0, Ustinov, Dimitrenko, Walker, Skelton in his 5th fight.

Helenius 17-0, Peter, Liakhovich, Chisora

Mitchell 25-0 Ibragimov, Witherspoon


Price should have had fights like this by now.

 

I wouldn't call him "another Povetkin" Price's career progression is below that.

Within the first 3 years of Povetkin's career he had faced Byrd and Chambers.


Price isn't learning with each fight. He has boxed 37 rounds in his career.
I don't know with whom he has been sparring, but I don't expect it would be anyone of note in preparation for fights at this level.

 

Next year he will be fighting opponents of a higher quality, but fury excluded, will still be behind where he should be.
I'm saying his progression is too slow, you are saying it isn't. So does that mean you think the careers of the other boxers I named are being rushed?

"I can only say it for the fifth time - if he's still fighting opponents of this quality next year we have problems." If we were having this debate a year a go, you would have made this same point, and the truth is, that is where we are.

You are ignoring the fact that he is nearly 4 years into his career, and just focusing on the fact that it is his 14th fight.
As I have said, it is a passable fight for his 14th fight. But that changes because it has taken so long to get to his 14th fight. So therefore his career plan should have been adjusted to speed it up.

Skelton is not his next opponent because he is at the right level to allow for Price to improve in the best possible way. It is because he is British and Maloney wants him to win the lonsdale belt outright. But my point is that it is too late to waste time with that, and instead he should move on to opponents that would help his progression from domestic to top 10 level. Like the opponents the boxers I mentioned previously have faced.


Do you really think fighting Skelton is a good choice and will help him prepare for a fighter like Fury?

 

He wants the British title outright, and has stated as much. He can't fight much better if thats what he wants. Haye won't fight for a domestic title, Fury vacated said title, and Chisora's banned. Who would you like him to face?

 

Yes, and what comes next should be a higher level, not skelton. His fights demonstrate his power and he can finish an opponent, but as they are offering him no challenge coming forward he is learning little or nothing.

His improvements and development are coming from his training not his fights. If his next opponent was a worthy opponent he would learn from that, and it would help him and his trainers know what to develop in training which would no doubt help to develop.

I disagree with the thread starters point that his career is going nowhere, but this fight is a waste of time. He will gain nothing from stopping Skelton in a couple of rounds, as he learnt nothing from Harrison.

Humour me for a moment and don't ignore it. Do you think Skelton is the sort of opponent a boxer 4 years into his career with world title aspirations should be facing?

 

Read above and propose an alternative. Fighter needs to be British as Price wants a Lonsdale belt to keep.

 

Yes, absolutely. In another thread I even went through many British fighters to explain why Skelton is the only possible choice for this.

I just think if there isn't a worthy British opponent available to defend against, at his age and stage in his career he should move on.
If Chisora was a possible opponent then I would be all for winning the belt outright, but he isn't.