AFTER stepping in at short notice to suffer an injury and lose to Sergey Kuzmin in September, David Price is certain that victory over Tom Little tonight at the O2 will set him back on the right track.
“My pride was still damaged [after Kuzmin] but my health was intact, which is more important than pride I suppose,” Price told Boxing News. “I was going in, it was 90% in his favour and I said to Matchroom if I do take the fight I do want you to get me going again. I’m here now. All said and done, it wasn’t a bad move really.”
“First couple of rounds [against Kuzmin] if everything was tip top it would be curtains for this fella and that was frustrating for me as well. Thankfully there’s an opportunity to win on Saturday and there’s that much happening now in the heavyweight division, there’s opportunities. They’re everywhere. But I need to play a game now, instead of jumping at chances be a little bit more selective, taking fights that I see on paper as more in my favour,” he continued. “There is going to be a point where I’m going to have to accept I’m going to be coming in as the opponent. If I can get a few wins together I’ll be giving myself the best opportunity heading into the big one.”
There will be movement in the division as he works his way up. “There’s Dave Allen, Lucas Browne, those type of fights, they’re dead easy to make, on my side anyway,” Price said. “I provide excitement at least, I’m a big heavyweight, people know me. I’m sure the opportunities will be there… I’d like to rematch Christian Hammer because I know I have the beating of him.
“I can definitely hurt people because I’ve proved even in my defeats I’ve had people hurt. My power is there. I just need to be a bit more conclusive with it and end fights with it. It’s landing shots and having the engine to jump on it, which I didn’t have in the last fight, the [Alexander] Povetkin fight he was saved by the bell. I’ll have it now.
“It’s a confidence thing and a momentum thing.”
Price is sure he still has unrealised potential. “When I’m seeing your Charles Martins, your Dominic Breazeales [in the world top 10], Charles Martin’s been a world champion, even challenging for a world title, surely I can finish my career and be able to say the same thing, I’ve at least challenged for a world title, if the belts break up or whatever else,” David said.
“I’ve got to be realistic now. That seems like a country mile away. But, like I said, in three fights’ time we could be having a different conversation, that’s how quickly things could change.”
