The rumours that have been gathering pace for some time in Britain regarding a potential summer fight between Finchley’s Dereck Chisora (20-5, 13ko) (who, incidentally has dropped the ‘c’ from his first name on twitter!) and Liverpool’s David Price (19-2, 16ko) may need to be put to bed after a social media exchange this afternoon between Chisora himself and Price’s promoters Sauerland Event, appeared to kill any hope fans had of the fight being made.
The saga began with a brief tweet from Kalle and Nisse Sauerland, regarding the proposed June 6th return of Price to the UK, and a potential showdown with Chisora. It read;
“We have made a very good offer for Derek Chisora to fight David price on the 6/6 in Liverpool. No answer from Derek – we will now move forward.”
It didn’t take too long for Chisora to respond. He made his feelings known in a succinct tweet that said simply;
“Sauerland bros – you are talking shit.”
In an insistent reply, the Sauerlands said;
“YOU are talking shit. Six figures friend!”
Chisora ended the exchange with a series of “tears of laughter” emoticons.
I’m not sure how appealing this fight is really to the fans in the UK anymore. A couple of years ago perhaps, but not now.
David Price has been licking his wounds in Germany since the two devastating losses to Tony Thompson left him in the wilderness. After his then-promoter, Frank (now Kellie) Maloney famously left the sport to undertake gender-reassingnment surgery, Price was picked up by Sauerland Event, Germany’s premier promoter, and has undergone a rather unremarkable period of re-building abroad. His confidence was in tatters after the back-to-back Thompson defeats and he last boxed in February when he knocked out Brazilian Irineu Costa Junior in 6 rounds.
After a period of injury sustained last summer, he has boxed just the once, in that Costa Jr fight. He has actually only had four fights since those Thompson losses two years ago although the summer return to Liverpool has been mooted for some time.
As for Derek Chisora, for me he is a fighter with very few options left. After a second defeat to Tyson Fury last November, he was convicted of threatening behaviour over an argument over a parking space and sentenced to “community service/payback” . He was recently pictured in the British media wearing his fluorescent vest whilst litter picking.
He has mixed at top level, fighting Vitali Klitschko in just his 17th professional contest. Yet there is a growing belief that he took that fight too soon despite giving a good account of himself, and subsequent defeats, including a heavy knockout to David Haye and the more recent battering at Tyson Fury’s hands have left him a shot fighter……..at just 31 years of age. He is fast in danger of becoming just another gatekeeper and dreams and assertions of world titles seem a long way off now.
Frank Warren has insisted he WILL return, recently telling journalist Steve Lillis, that David Price was a serious option. However, this afternoons twitter exchanges seem to be telling a different story.
Despite his losses to Thompson, Price is a massive puncher, and maybe just found his bogey fighter in the cunning and wily old pro? With Sauerland event working so closely with Matchroom in the UK, maybe a Anthony Joshua v David Price match-up is an easier fight to put together?
Rumours have also abounded that Thompson will fight Joshua next himself, after AJ comes through solid American, Kevin Johnson on May 30th.
Either way, in 2015 I’d pick Price to beat Chisora very comfortably, probably stopping him somewhere mid-fight. Regardless, Price needs an opponent for the proposed June 6th date and it’s not looking likely it will be Chisora. The fans deserve a decent domestic name for his return to the UK and I hope that is kept in mind, from a fan perspective. Eastern European labourers and Irish taxi drivers will NOT be acceptable.
With guys like Gary Cornish, Dillian Whyte, Richard Towers and Ian Lewison all active and looking for a step-up, Price shouldn’t have to look to far for a “credible” opponent. Keep that in mind Sauerland Bros!!
Thanks for reading, Twitter @undilutedpoison
