By Jack Sumner
Fans of David Price will no doubt be expecting the Scouse giant to score another quick KO victory this Saturday, when he faces 41-year-old American veteran Tony Thompson at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
Given that Price’s previous six opponents have lasted less than half-an-hour between them, you could forgive a punter for wanting to wage their money on another early demolition job here. However, Thompson could possess the tools to keep Price occupied for the full thirty-six minutes of this encounter. A sure-fire step up in class, only Wladimir Klitschko has beaten Tony ‘The Tiger’ inside the scheduled distance.
Thompson (36-3, 24 KOs) was knocked out by Klitschko for the second time when they met in Switzerland last July, but his only other defeat is a points loss thirteen years ago that came after just six months as a professional. The Maryland native then went on to win twenty-seven straight fights before losing his first world title challenge to Wladimir in 2008 and has since remained a fringe world-level contender, who has supplemented his experience by being used as a sparring partner for the likes of David Haye.
Of course its not the first time that a Price opponent has been expected to give the unbeaten prospect a test and Thompson’s age could be a factor in this fight. Also, regardless of the experience or tricky southpaw stance that Tony the Tiger brings to the table, any boxing intangible other than a granite chin is irrelevant if Price is able to cleanly land his devastating straight right hand.
Price (15-0, 13 KOs) had an incredible 2012, knocking out John McDermott, Sam Sexton, Audley Harrison and Matt Skelton to send out a message to the heavyweight scene. That message was chillingly delivered by a left-jab that set up that monster of a straight right and with that one-punch knockout power Price has in his locker, he could take Thompson out at any point in the fight.
Nevertheless, if Price doesn’t land a knockout blow it might not be plain sailing for the big man over twelve rounds. There is so much more to his arsenal than just power – notably his relative hand speed and athleticism for a heavyweight – but there are also some chinks in the armour that a fighter of Thompson’s calibre might be able to exploit.
He’s not the tightest defensively to say the least and Thompson punches with good timing and accuracy. Moreover, the holes in Price’s defence and his lack of upper body movement perhaps make him vulnerable under pressure, as evidenced in the opening round by Matt Skelton after he was able to back the Liverpudlian into the ropes. Price would go on to knock Skelton out with a body shot in the second round and Thompson isn’t a pressure fighter, but he’s an experienced guy nonetheless who will have been working on a gameplan.
A pretty good game plan he’s going to need though, as the developing Price is truly looking like a heavyweight champion in the making. Despite his pedigree, a win for Thompson would be a huge upset.
