How’s it been training David Price?
This is our second week working together. Very good. I’m enjoying it, he’s enjoying it, more importantly he’s already feeling benefits from it.
How did he approach you and what made him decide to go with yourself?
I had a phone call off Nisse Sauerland [Price’s promoter], because we’ve known each other for a long time, he [Price] didn’t want to put me on the spot where I felt like I had to say yes. He told Nisse he wanted to come and work with me. I said I’ll have a chat with him. So we spoke on the phone, myself and Pricey, because I wanted to know where his head was at. So we had a good chat, agreed to have a session.
My concerns were the physicality of it. He’s a giant and I’m not exactly the tallest trainer out there [Coldwell is 5ft 4’, Price 6ft 8’]. So I wanted it to work for both of us.
So we had a session and at the end of the session he said straight out he wanted me to train him and I was happy with our conversations about why he’s coming back. That was important for me, it had to be for the right reasons.
Are there difficulties, how does it work with holding the pads for him?
[Tony] Bellew’s hard enough work. I’m very strong minded in myself. I don’t let things stop me and I train myself all the time.
I do have to hold the pads basically at full extension above my head. There’s no cushioning for me. If you’re a power puncher, you’ve got to deliver your punches as hard as you can every shot… We do more pads than bagwork in my gym.
I make sure that I’m in shape to be able to cope with that… I’m coping with it fine, I worry about aches and pains after a session, it’s not my job to moan.
Is it very different training a big guy?
Yes, it is different, you’ve got to train bigger men in a different sort of way because physically they’re not able to do certain things that a lighter man will do. Because you’re going to put pressure on joints and bones and things like that. You’ve got to take things into account on that.
As far as Price is concerned, he can really punch. You’ve got to enhance his attributes and work on his deficiencies.
What do you want to work on with him?
He sees a change in things, little things that he’s doing. Also it’s a mind job on Dave. The majority of Price’s problems is his mind. It’s just changing his mindset and being more positive and helping him. You can’t just chat s*** and tell somebody to be confident. You’ve got to give them reasons why to be confident and reasons why to believe in themselves and that’s part of the job that I’ve got on my minds.
How long would you like to have with him before he fights?
The first fight I believe we’re looking at April. That’s what it’s looking like. Nothing’s confirmed yet. That’s what it’s looking like that. It’s about the time that we’re spending together, it’s the quality that’s getting done. If that’s the date, that’s date. I’m quite confident in how his demeanour is changing already in the space of nine days.
I’m looking at where he’s going to be in five, six weeks, boxing wise and mentality wise, I think he’ll be well on the road. It’s not an overnight job, it’s on going progress with him. I’m excited.
Do you think that fight will be in England?
I hope so. It’s something that I’ve heard that’s a possibility. I don’t know, we’ll see.
It doesn’t matter where that ring is. Once the bell goes, his mind’s got to be focused on the job in front of him. Not ‘what if I get beat’, ‘what if people call me chinny’, ‘what if this’, he’s got to forget all that and go out there and do it for David Price and show people what David Price can actually do.
It’s for him. It’s not prove anybody else wrong.
What kind of level of opponent would you like him to come back against?
It’s not going to be about the opponent, it’s going to be about him being comfortable being back in the ring and just going out and expressing himself. That’s what I want. It’s him expressing himself, going out there and enjoying being a fighter again.
He’s had a lot of bad luck and he’s got to relieve the pressure off himself that he puts on.
Do you think this comeback is eventually going to lead to a fight with someone like Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury?
You never know… All you can do is keep winning, if you keep winning the road leads there. Especially if you’re a name. There are plenty of fighters that aren’t names, there are plenty of fighters that haven’t got a big promoter when it’s about getting the break. Price is a massive name and he’s got promotional backing and TV are interested in him, media are interested in him. All he has to do is keep winning. If he keeps winning, he’s going to get put in a big fight. You’re possibly talking three or four fights away and he could be put into a big fight and that’s where we’re at.
This is the thing, in boxing, in heavyweight boxing moreso, but in boxing you’re realistically only one fight away from getting a crack at something big. And at the same time, you’re only one fight away from having your dream shattered.
