David Price v Audley Harrison 13 October at Echo Arena

[Tunney]

Price should be fighting more often at this stage in his career, and he should be fighting better opponents than Audrey. By the time he has 20 fights and finally steps up, he'll be well into his 30s.

Fury is much younger and lacks a top amateur pedigree, but his pro career is already far ahead of Price.

[jameswilson]

Surley Audley's last fight. Hopefully he loses with a bit of dignity. He's been crucified for his loss to Haye, and that has made nigh on everyone forget he fought 10 rounds against Sprott (not saying Sprott was a World beater) with an injury before pulling a KO out in the 12th when behind on the cards.

[ILikeBeer]

Surley Audley's last fight. Hopefully he loses with a bit of dignity. He's been crucified for his loss to Haye, and that has made nigh on everyone forget he fought 10 rounds against Sprott (not saying Sprott was a World beater) with an injury before pulling a KO out in the 12th when behind on the cards.

To be fair, anybody who even knew the remotest thing about boxing knew what would happen in that fight. In reality, the people who should've been crucified were the ones who thought Harrison would win.

[jameswilson]

Surley Audley's last fight. Hopefully he loses with a bit of dignity. He's been crucified for his loss to Haye, and that has made nigh on everyone forget he fought 10 rounds against Sprott (not saying Sprott was a World beater) with an injury before pulling a KO out in the 12th when behind on the cards.

To be fair, anybody who even knew the remotest thing about boxing knew what would happen in that fight. In reality, the people who should've been crucified were the ones who thought Harrison would win.

I have to concede I was fairly suprised that anyone was picking Audley to beat Haye, Audley himself had confirmed that Haye had got the better of him in sparring, which was back when Haye was a Cruiserweight.

[Finn]

My head says Price my heart says Harrison. This fight will sell, Audley at his best has the skills and power to beat price, problem is we rarely see harrison at his best. I worry about price's power being too much to handle. If big aud wins he would surely be in line for mass praise and a shot at wlad.

[dve3333]

I agree it is a decent fight. I just can't see Audley being able to take Price's power though. His chin is not exactly rock solid and Price is one of the hardest punchers pound for pound in world boxing. I'd envisage a cautious opening couple of rounds and then Price landing something which knocks Audley unconcious.

Oooh dunno about being called one of the hardest punchers in world boxing pound for pound based on stopping Tom Dallas, Sam Sexton and John McDermott!!
Decent fight for Price though easy sell to the public with it being retirement for Harrison should he lose so a full house at the Echo. First few rounds are crucial, Audley could be troublesome if he starts well after coming off the win against Adams. He won't want to be remembered for the Haye fiasco but you get the feeling if Price hurts Audley early and he goes into his shell its an easy night for Big Dave.

[broomy7s]

Heard Price will be fighting again before the turn of the year at aintree should he win this. Would be good to see 2 more at British level. 2/3 at Euro next year then possibly onto world.

Anyone heard anything on a matchroom show at echo arena in september?

[Horse]

Surley Audley's last fight. Hopefully he loses with a bit of dignity. He's been crucified for his loss to Haye, and that has made nigh on everyone forget he fought 10 rounds against Sprott (not saying Sprott was a World beater) with an injury before pulling a KO out in the 12th when behind on the cards.

I don't see why it should be Harrison's last fight.

If he loses this one he could fight someone like McDermott for the English title. If he won that then he would be ready to fight someone like Chisora for the vacated British or Commonwealth title in about a year. Harrison can keep coming back because people will watch him.


Anyway, Price vs Harrison is a good fight. It is a good step up for Price at this time, Harrison will be by far the best opponent that Price will have faced as a pro.

[jessi]

I agree it is a decent fight. I just can't see Audley being able to take Price's power though. His chin is not exactly rock solid and Price is one of the hardest punchers pound for pound in world boxing. I'd envisage a cautious opening couple of rounds and then Price landing something which knocks Audley unconcious.

Totally agree, I hope audley can ask some questions but just can't see it, looking forward to it though

[forcefraser]

YES HE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[funso banjo baby]

good fight

we knew audley and matt skelton were hovering around waiting for one last big fight.

id actually like to see skelton v fury now.

as for the price harrison fight...price inside 5 but if he takes his time with single shots Audley may try a few sneeky ones of his own. should be a good fight

Price has had a very unlucky time with fights falling through....we may have to just accept that hes not going to get the steady build up against bums ...and is going to be thrown in deep fairly quickly

i think he can do real devastation at euro level and will certainly become a major world player.

he has the POWER !

[davie]

it almost certainly wont happen, but i hope audley lands one of his famous left hands

if nothing else good comes from this mismatch, it will be that prices chin gets the check many have been waiting for, it will answer a lot of questions!

although i suspect audley will just look terified of price throwing the right hand until such time as he does so succesfully and audley will pick himself, dust himself down and tell us "it's my destiny!" once again

[jameswilson]

Everyone knows how big an Audley fan I'v been since day 1 but I'm really suprised people think Audley is Price's biggest test. I think if Audley now at 40 years old were to fight Sam Sexton, I don't think Audley would be a favourite. Also I aint so sure Audley will necassarily test Price's chin. Whilst Audley presents very different problems to what Price has faced so far with his height and reach (Audley has very long arms and Price's best opponents haven't been that tall) and the southpaw stance he will be an easier opponent in other ways considering his age and his workrate which is a bit stop start.

[Horse]

Everyone knows how big an Audley fan I'v been since day 1 but I'm really suprised people think Audley is Price's biggest test. I think if Audley now at 40 years old were to fight Sam Sexton, I don't think Audley would be a favourite. Also I aint so sure Audley will necassarily test Price's chin. Whilst Audley presents very different problems to what Price has faced so far with his height and reach (Audley has very long arms and Price's best opponents haven't been that tall) and the southpaw stance he will be an easier opponent in other ways considering his age and his workrate which is a bit stop start.

I'd pick Harrison to beat McDermott, Sexton and the rest of Price's opponents. As a former European champion and world title challenger, I'd say Harrison has achieved more than all of Price's opponents as well.

I think it is reasonable to call it a step up.

[jameswilson]

Everyone knows how big an Audley fan I'v been since day 1 but I'm really suprised people think Audley is Price's biggest test. I think if Audley now at 40 years old were to fight Sam Sexton, I don't think Audley would be a favourite. Also I aint so sure Audley will necassarily test Price's chin. Whilst Audley presents very different problems to what Price has faced so far with his height and reach (Audley has very long arms and Price's best opponents haven't been that tall) and the southpaw stance he will be an easier opponent in other ways considering his age and his workrate which is a bit stop start.

I'd pick Harrison to beat McDermott, Sexton and the rest of Price's opponents. As a former European champion and world title challenger, I'd say Harrison has achieved more than all of Price's opponents as well.

I think it is reasonable to call it a step up.

I'd back Audley to beat all Price's former opponents right now except Sexton. Audley beat Sprott for the European title with one arm and has a decent win over Williams way back, but don't forget this is quite a few years back. We are talking about RIGHT NOW and Audley is now in his 40s. So I don't think he would beat Sexton right now. But 3 or 4 years back he might have done.

[IRLangmaid25]

At 40, Harrison must the oldest man ever to challenge for the British title surely?

[Horse]

I'd back Audley to beat all Price's former opponents right now except Sexton. Audley beat Sprott for the European title with one arm and has a decent win over Williams way back, but don't forget this is quite a few years back. We are talking about RIGHT NOW and Audley is now in his 40s. So I don't think he would beat Sexton right now. But 3 or 4 years back he might have done.

I don't rate Sexton very highly and I would favour McDermott to beat him if they fought.

I don't think Sexton could stand up to Harrison's punches for 10 or 12 rounds, and I don't think Sexton is likely to knockout Harrison, but that is just my opinion.

[Karl Jade]

I really like Audley as a person and a small part of me will be hoping he can pull this off.

Realistically, Price's power will get him out of there in the first 2 rounds.

[oliverfennell]

He is better than Fury, better than Chisora and better than Harrison and needs to face the first two in the next 12 months before making an assault on Europe.

I agree Price looks to be the UK's best rising heavyweight, but he hasn't had the opposition to back that up yet. Both Fury and Chisora have fought better opponents than Price has. I'm a fan of Price and an admirer of his potential, but he is a classic example of that phenomenon where fans deride a more famous boxer (Fury) for his opposition while championing a lesser known guy with an inferior CV (Price). I don't doubt Price will acquit himself well when he steps up, but the point is he does need to step up. This match is a marginal step, but while I'm a well-known Harrison supporter, I can't really make a case for him doing well in this. Fury v Harrison would have been much more interesting.

Didnn't Price say he does want the Lonsdale belt for keeps? If he sticks to that aim, this fight is just a notch on that. Expect someone like Sprott or Skelton next and then Chisora in mid-2013.

[oliverfennell]

you get the feeling if Price hurts Audley early and he goes into his shell its an easy night for Big Dave.

This is a common misconception. Harrison is actually over-cautious offensively. He's reluctant to lead, to be aggressive, and only goes for the finish when it's absolutely obvious it's there for him. The reason the Haye match ended up stinking is because Haye himself held back and Harrison didn't want to be first. If you look at a lot of Harrison's fights, he actually gets stuck in after being hurt, almost as if he needs to be woken up before he sees the urgency of the task.

[oliverfennell]

At 40, Harrison must the oldest man ever to challenge for the British title surely?

I was wondering this myself. I don't think oldest of any challengers, but maybe heavyweight. Nobody else springs to mind, though.

[oliverfennell]

At 40, Harrison must the oldest man ever to challenge for the British title surely?

I was wondering this myself. I don't think oldest of any challengers, but maybe heavyweight. Nobody else springs to mind, though.

Just looked it up briefly (not exhaustively). Harrison is the oldest British title challenger at heavyweight, while the oldest challenger at any weight appears to be Dennis Andries. According to BoxRec (as there was some dispute over Andries' exact birth date), he was 43 when he challenged Johnny Nelson for the British cruiserweight title.

[ILikeBeer]

Surley Audley's last fight. Hopefully he loses with a bit of dignity. He's been crucified for his loss to Haye, and that has made nigh on everyone forget he fought 10 rounds against Sprott (not saying Sprott was a World beater) with an injury before pulling a KO out in the 12th when behind on the cards.

I don't see why it should be Harrison's last fight.

If he loses this one he could fight someone like McDermott for the English title. If he won that then he would be ready to fight someone like Chisora for the vacated British or Commonwealth title in about a year. Harrison can keep coming back because people will watch him.

Anyway, Price vs Harrison is a good fight. It is a good step up for Price at this time, Harrison will be by far the best opponent that Price will have faced as a pro.

I thought that. Audley tends to draw interest, despite not being as good as he thinks he is.

I heard one guy saying he'd watch Haye vs Harrison because it was the first fight in a long time where he'd heard of both men fighting. That's who Audley sells fights to. People who only watch a couple of fights a year, and think somebody being a name and somebody being good are the same thing.

If Audley's career wasn't finished after Sprott knocked his block off live on ITV, then losing to a hard-hitting prospect such as Price on allegedly won't mean anything.

Hell, if nothing else Harrison can enter the next heavyweight Prizefighter. As a name and a former winner, they'd jump at the chance to let Audley back in, I reckon.

[exittored]

AUDLEY is too skilled and fast for Price and will put the liverpool man away inside 6 rds.

[pablothunder]

Perfectly worthwhile fight. I'd hoped to see Tyson Fury in with Audley.
I'll skip the easy potshots at Harrison because- If Audley Harrison shows up, he carries formidable weapons.
I see Price dealing with him.. but Audley does have real quality in there when he's switched on.