by Johnny Walker
Rising UK heavyweight and current British and Commonwealth champion David Price has joined forces with promoter Frank Warren’s fledgling BoxNation TV to begin the next phase of his career.
2008 British Olympic bronze medalist Price will take on another Olympic champion, 2000 super heavyweight gold medalist Audley “A-Force” Harrison, in his inaugural bout on the BoxNation network in October.
Price’s promoter Frank Maloney, who formerly worked with world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, was looking for a new television home for Price and other fighters in his stable when Sky Sports in the UK decided to go out of the boxing business.
“I’d like to thank BoxNation for the opportunity to keep Price on British TV screens so that the fans continue to see his fights and the rest of the boxers in my stable,” said Maloney in a press release.
“It will be a battle of the Olympians when he clashes with Harrison in his first fight for BoxNation and a fight [in which] he’s looking to make a big statement.”
Ironically, a large part of the reason Sky Sports abandoned boxing was due to Harrison’s pay-per-view fight with then WBA heavyweight champion David Haye in 2010. Both fighters refused to engage for the first two rounds, and when Haye finally let loose in round three, Harrison (28-5, 21 KOs) was quickly knocked out.
Many fans thought the fight was rigged, especially after Haye later said he bet on himself for a third-round knockout.
The hulking 6’8″ Price (13-0, 11 KOs), however, is happy with the new deal, which means uninterrupted media exposure in the UK, where, with his size, powerful jab, and knockout power, he is seen as a logical successor to the world champion Klitschko brothers.
“I’m happy that the public will get the opportunity to see the next phase of my career develop on BoxNation,” says Price, 29.
“Frank has sorted out the business outside of the ring for me and I’ll continue what I do best inside the ring by continuing to win fights and titles that will culminate in the ultimate prize – the world heavyweight crown.”
“The next step is Saturday 13th October at the Liverpool Echo Arena against Audley Harrison and I look forward to putting on a great show for the BoxNation viewers’ and fans in attendance.”