David Price on Anthony Joshua: ‘We may never see anything like this again’

Anthony Joshua

THIS time a year ago David Price was in the frame for a shot at Anthony Joshua. The IBF heavyweight world championโ€™s team had opened negotiations for a fight with Wladimir Klitschko, which would ultimately take place the following April. His tune up for the Ukrainian was set for December in Manchester and Price was considered for the bout before it went to former world title challenger Eric Molina.

โ€œThat was another one where there was a chance for me to swap in and it didnโ€™t work out. I would have loved to have had that fight. Itโ€™s like Iโ€™ve always said. Although most people lost any type of belief in me, thereโ€™s always that chance with me. It would have been an exciting spectacle, me versus Joshua, rather than him versus Eric Molina. Iโ€™m not saying I would have won, Iโ€™m saying I would have gone in there and tried to. If I would have got the Joshua fight, I would have trained to go all out for three or four rounds and try and knock him out. That was my plan at the time anyway. Iโ€™d have a different approach now but that was the plan then and it would have just made for a barnstormer,โ€ Price told .

โ€œI donโ€™t regret it,โ€ he continued.

โ€œIt works in funny ways. Heโ€™s obviously gone on to massive things, heโ€™s made the sport, heโ€™s took it to another level.โ€

Joshua fought Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley stadium. Against lowly Carlos Takam, over 75,000 fans filled the Principality stadium in Cardiff. These are major events in British boxing and Price for one thinks it should be appreciated.

โ€œThe Klitschko win was a great fight, he got through a bit of a crisis in the middle rounds. He done well, he proved heโ€™s more than just brawn type of thing in that one. With Takam he had to deal with a different type of fighter at late notice. And Takam wasnโ€™t what people expected, as in coming forward like a Joe Frazier type of style, he was like a world class journeyman style. People who are small with a compact style, theyโ€™re hard to land clean shots on and get your shots off against. He had to deal with that and he did. You canโ€™t really fault him,โ€ David said.

โ€œI donโ€™t know if weโ€™ll ever see anything like this again. Thatโ€™s why I think people should appreciate it for what it is, instead of moaning. People always find things to moan about but we havenโ€™t seen anything like this before and we might not ever see it again. So appreciate it while itโ€™s here, I say.

โ€œLong may it continue.โ€

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