LIVERPOOL heavyweight David Price hasn’t boxed since suffering a knockout loss against Erkan Teper for the European title last July. However he is expected to return to action, and a thriving British heavyweight scene, before the summer of this year.

It is alleged that Teper subsequently failed a drugs test. “David will be back this year. I think what’s happened to him is an absolute shambles, how it’s been dealt with is a joke,” Price’s promoter Nisse Sauerland told Boxing News. “David hasn’t had the greatest of luck in his career so far but people forget that David’s been British champion, been Commonwealth champion, sold out arenas, knocked very good guys out in the first round. David on his day can beat most people out there. It’s just a question of giving him one more run and making the right choices. I expect him to be back before the summer with a new trainer.”

He’s likely to return in an eight-rounder in the UK so he can “get his head switched back on to boxing, into throwing that right hand. It can knock out anyone. That’s the thing about heavyweights, you can get knocked out very easily by a guy weighing 110kgs, 120kgs”.

Sauerland continued, “[IBF champion] Charles Martin, honestly if they offered that fight to David I’d take it tomorrow. But I can’t see that happening. Get [David] back in the ring, get him training, get the correct trainer. David’s one of the nicest guys in the sport. He’s getting the spite again. He needs to be a bit more spiteful.”