Former British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price sat down with SportsCasting x FightLens for an exclusive wide-ranging interview — and didn’t hold back.
Price revealed he beat a young Tyson Fury in a tense amateur final twenty years ago, with police called for crowd safety after Fury’s pre-fight trash talk in the boxing press.
He backed Derek Chisora to outwork Deontay Wilder, predicted Fabio Wardley to stop Daniel Dubois by knockout, and argued the Usyk defeat has left a lasting psychological scar on Dubois.
He also reflected candidly on his own career ceiling, praised Anthony Joshua’s humility in linking up with Usyk’s camp, and paid a heartfelt tribute to departing Liverpool icon Mo Salah.
David Price on Derek Chisora vs Deontay Wilder
SportsCasting: Chisora versus Wilder — what’s your prediction on that fight? And secondly, Chisora is the same age as you, and I remember watching you spar with him 14 years ago at the old Pug Gym — what a war that was. This guy is still fighting. Do you think it’s good for boxing that these two are still competing at this age?
David Price: I think with Derek Chisora, a lot of people overlook why he’s lasted so long, and it’s not entirely down to just being tough. He’s got a much better boxing brain than people give him credit for, and a much better defence, because you wouldn’t be hanging around at that level in this division at his age if you didn’t have something about you.
He rides shots well. He’s got that low centre of gravity. He’s hard to hit cleanly — most shots tend to hit around the top of his head. I spoke to him the other weekend and told him people are sleeping on him for that very reason. Some people just think he’s a glorified punchbag, but there’s a lot more than meets the eye with Derek. The fact that he’s still going at this level is a testament to his quality, rather than the state of the division, because he’s had some good wins along the way — Joe Joyce, Otto Wallin, Carlos Takam early on.
He does show some signs of slowing down, because Father Time gets the best of us all, but he’s still got enough in the tank to beat Deontay Wilder — which brings me to my prediction. I think Derek will take over late in the fight. He’ll swarm Wilder, stay on top of him, and keep him working. Wilder is always dangerous, and the last thing he’ll lose is his punch power. But I think he’s lost the aura of invincibility he once had — Tyson Fury took that away initially. It was one thing when Fury did it, but then seeing him lose to Joseph Parker, and then to Big Bang, has given all the other heavyweights the belief that he isn’t invincible. If they can walk through him, why can’t I? And especially Derek.
SportsCasting: I agree. I think Derek should win the fight, especially at home in front of his home crowd. And rightly so — I wouldn’t like to see him carry on too much longer, but he loves boxing.
David Price: Yeah, definitely. And he’ll know when it’s time to call it. I think it will be after this one.
The irony is that he’s facing probably still one of the most dangerous punchers on the planet in what could be his last fight. Common sense would say take a softer touch to go out on, but that’s Derek Chisora all over. He obviously wants the money that comes with the Wilder fight, and he’ll be getting paid what he deserves and going out with a bang. I think Wilder, as good as he’s been, has lost that aura now. I think Derek can win the fight late on — just outwork him, outlast him.
David Price on his own career and legacy
SportsCasting: That’s what we hope for anyway — a home win on this one. Let’s go back to your career, David. You were absolutely smashing it, breezing through everybody, and in today’s game you would’ve been an absolute phenomenon. Are there any regrets on your part? What do you think your career would look like in this day and age? You’d be right up there with all the young kids coming through — which will bring us on to Moses Itauma — but any regrets from your end?
David Price: Someone asked me this question yesterday in the gym, and honestly, I haven’t got many regrets. Obviously I’d have done certain things differently — probably picked different trainers for certain situations — but ultimately I don’t have that many regrets, because I think I maximised my potential. Although people thought I could win world titles, I don’t think I could have, and I’m at peace with that. When you’re finished boxing and you’re comfortable, you can accept your shortcomings. A couple of mine were obvious: the punch resistance wasn’t there, and I didn’t quite have the engine to make it at the very elite level.
That said, I was in the mix and involved in big fights because people wanted to see me. I could knock someone out, but I could also be hurt — there was always going to be entertainment in my fights. So no regrets.
SportsCasting: I think what’s changed, David, is the money. I think with Turki Alalshikh, that’s really the only difference. If you were fighting today with your knockout ratio when you started out, I’m sure you’d be far better off financially. That’s the difference, isn’t it?
David Price: In monetary terms, yes, it would’ve been better to be fighting five years later with all the hype. There was a lot of hype around me when I was British champion, but it would probably be fivefold now because there are more eyes on boxing for different reasons. Showreel knockouts can go a long way, can’t they? There would’ve been a lot of interest.
And when you look at the division now, beneath the top fighters there isn’t much standing out — apart from Moses Itauma, obviously. A lot of it is just fighters who were there when I was still boxing; it’s almost recycling. I do think we could do with a fresh vein of new talent coming through to make things exciting.
David Price on Moses Itauma’s talent and potential
SportsCasting: I think a lot of the fighters coming through today probably haven’t had the experience that you had as an Olympian. The route to the top is a lot shorter now than it was in your day, or certainly in mine. But let’s talk about Itauma. He’s going to fight Jermaine Franklin — how do you think that pans out? Is it a severe test? Too early? And do you think he’ll be heavyweight champion of the world?
David Price: On paper, I think Dillian Whyte was actually a sterner test than Jermaine Franklin. Franklin is most famous over here for going the distance with Anthony Joshua, and I think Dillian beat him on points as well. So he’s durable — that’s what he’s known for.
Dillian Whyte, on the other hand, is known for being a winner. He knocked Derek Chisora out cold, beat Joseph Parker, Oscar Rivas — he’s had some really big wins and comes to fight. And Moses Itauma just wiped the floor with him. It was really impressive.
That said, it might have been partly because Dillian came to win but never got a chance to get into the fight — he got caught early and it was over. What Franklin will hopefully give Moses is rounds, and that’s what he needs. There will come a day when someone stands up to his power and his ability, and a lot of questions will be asked. You can do a lot of it in the gym, but it doesn’t always translate under the lights. Not that I doubt he’ll be able to handle it — I think he will. But it’s important he gets rounds in this fight. If he doesn’t, what can you do? He’s added another knockout to the list.
SportsCasting: It’s almost like the Tyson syndrome, isn’t it? When he was coming through knocking everyone out, we all said he’d come up short at the top level — but he didn’t. He won the world title. Itauma seems like a very grounded kid from what I’ve seen. Obviously as a British fighter, we wish him all the best.
David Price: Definitely. That’s one of the things I like about him — his attitude. No nonsense. No trash talk. He doesn’t have to, because he lets his fists do the talking. That’s when you know someone has real belief and talent — they can just stay quiet, go about their business, and speak well. I think he’s definitely going to go a long way.
David Price on beating Tyson Fury as an amateur
SportsCasting: Did you beat Tyson Fury as an amateur?
David Price: Yes, in the ABA. It was Tyson Fury’s first senior ABA tournament. I was Commonwealth Games gold medallist at the time — this was twenty years ago now. We fought in the Northwest final, and it was a fascinating occasion. The leisure centre was absolutely packed out, and they actually had to bring our fight forward — we were due on last as the super heavyweights, but they moved us to third on the card for safety reasons. There was a big police presence, which was unheard of in amateur boxing. It was crazy.
I was up for that fight because he’d been talking in the boxing press — writing letters to Boxing News saying he was going to knock me out, take my Olympic place, and then knock me out again to prove it wasn’t a fluke. In the amateurs, you just don’t get that. So it fired me up and I thought, “I’m going to have to put this fella in his place.”
I beat him, and at the time I was honestly relieved, because he’d won a medal at the World Juniors, which is a real achievement. I was nervous going in, but I got him out of the way and it cleared the path for me to go to the Olympics. But I certainly didn’t foresee what he’d go on to become.
SportsCasting: That was my next question — you couldn’t have foreseen that at all. Did he show talent at the time?
David Price: Looking back at the video now, in hindsight you can see it — yes, he’s talented, he’s got something. But even so, his improvement was astronomical. You’ve got to give him enormous credit. He improved exponentially, though it didn’t happen straight away. I think it came in his early twenties, because when he first turned pro he was still reckless, still getting caught all the time — he even lost to John McDermott. But something clicked and he started using his height, his brain, his boxing ability. He became disciplined in the ring.
And what you have to understand with Tyson Fury is that I’m a giant myself — six foot nine, twenty stone — and everything is harder when you’re that size. The fact that he can box twelve rounds without any problem, and could probably do twenty, is a unique talent. His endurance and stamina are just extraordinary.
SportsCasting: I’d imagine in amateur boxing, they’d rarely have had two people that big in the ring at the same time.
David Price: No — two giants. Absolutely.
David Price on Tyson Fury’s comeback fight against Makhmudov
SportsCasting: So moving on to the Makhmudov versus Fury fight. Do you think there’s any chance of an upset? He looks strong, powerful, resilient. Could this be the moment Tyson Fury gets turned over?
David Price: There’s always a chance of an upset in any fight — that’s all it takes. And to be fair to Makhmudov, he punches as hard as most, if not harder.
But stylistically, Fury hasn’t got this far by picking bad fights. They know the right fights to make, and they’ve picked Makhmudov for a reason — he’s come off a decent win in the UK so people recognise him. But in terms of his style, he is there to be hit. He’s quite predictable. It also depends what the time out of the ring has done to Fury — has the rest benefited him, or has his age caught up a little? But ultimately, I think Tyson Fury can win by knockout pretty much whenever he wants.
SportsCasting: I’m not sure if you saw it, but Spencer Oliver did an interview with Fury’s father last week where John Fury said he thinks it’s the wrong fight for Tyson, and that the backroom staff are useless. What do you make of that?
David Price: Probably just trying to hype the fight up and sell more tickets. You never quite know what to make of it when John Fury starts talking. I think it’s the right fight. Makhmudov is there to be hit if you let your hands go. Dave Allen, unfortunately, didn’t let his hands go until the eleventh round — otherwise he might have been the one in the opposite corner to Fury, and he must be kicking himself. I think Dave Allen could have beaten Makhmudov, and when you think about it that way — if Fury is fighting someone who could have been beaten by Dave Allen — it should be a straightforward win.
David Price on Fabio Wardley versus Daniel Dubois
SportsCasting: It’s an electric time for British heavyweight boxing, which brings us onto Fabio Wardley versus Daniel Dubois. What a matchup.
David Price: What a fight.
SportsCasting: What a great fight.
David Price: Yeah. Before the Usyk fight, Daniel Dubois had more momentum than anyone in heavyweight boxing worldwide — coming off big wins over Big Baby Miller, Anthony Joshua, Hrgovic. Big wins. I’m a fan of Daniel Dubois. Great jab, great timing with it. He’s a hulk of a man, can knock anyone out.
But Fabio Wardley has something that not many heavyweights possess — his hand speed is phenomenal, and he’s explosive with it. It’s a genuinely exciting fight and I’m really looking forward to it.
SportsCasting: What’s your prediction?
David Price: I’ve been saying I think Fabio Wardley can win by knockout — but not without being in trouble himself first. He’s going to have to survive some rough moments, and he can’t switch off for a single second. That’s the thing with Daniel Dubois. But I think Wardley can catch him with a punch he doesn’t see coming, doesn’t anticipate — and those are always the ones that hurt you most.
SportsCasting: It’s such a fascinating fight. A genuine 50/50. You don’t often get that with two British heavyweights.
David Price: And they’re both at a really high level. It’s effectively a world title fight at this point. Dubois, like I said, has a great jab — if he can control the fight with it, he can win. And he’s probably the favourite going in because he’s faced better opposition and has more experience on the big stage. He’s fought in front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium and he’s got that big right hand.
But I feel like the Usyk fight will have taken a real toll on his confidence. He’s faced a lot of criticism — being called a quitter and that sort of thing — and that’ll eat away at him. So the question is: how does he respond? Does he come back and say, “Right, I’ll show you who’s a quitter”? Or does it make him retreat into his shell?
I think it’s a good thing he’s gone back to Don Charles for his training. Don Charles is a good heavyweight trainer. It’s an intriguing fight — and what’s great is that both men are in their prime. Not like Derek and Wilder, who are at the ends of their careers. These two are both at their peaks, and it could be the start of a big rivalry. They could easily do it again.
David Price on Anthony Joshua in 2026
SportsCasting: Anthony Joshua has obviously been through an incredibly difficult time over the last six months. If it were you guiding him, how would you navigate his return, and who would you have him fight next?
David Price: It’s awful what he’s been through, but I think only he can make that decision. The thing is, he’s a two-time heavyweight champion —
SportsCasting: Do you think he’ll fight again?
David Price: I think he will. He needs something to give him purpose and something to focus on away from what’s happened. Sitting around with very little to do isn’t going to help. I think he needs something to work towards, and he’ll probably want to do it in memory of his two best friends.
So if I were guiding him, I’d say, “Do what you need to do.” And as far as who he’d fight — I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. Something like a Big Bang, a Zhang Zhilei perhaps. Someone with a decent name, someone he can get up for. And his last fight was against Jake Paul, so he needs to get back in with a legitimate fighter because he wants to win the world title again.
SportsCasting: I see he’s linked up with Usyk as well, which tactically seems like a smart move.
David Price: It is, isn’t it? Classic case of: if you can’t beat them, join them. You’ve got to respect that from Joshua because he hasn’t let his ego get in the way. The second fight with Usyk, I didn’t think there was much in it — Usyk won the last round and it was incredibly close. But Joshua has kept his ego in check and thought, “Let me see what I can learn from someone who’s beaten me.” And it might be exactly what he needs.
Whoever he decides to fight, people are going to watch, and it’s certainly more credible than Jake Paul.
David Price on Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury
SportsCasting: Looking back at the second Usyk fight specifically — given everything Usyk has done since, the performance was great. If AJ got in there with Fury, who would you pick?
David Price: On this day, I’m leaning towards Tyson Fury to beat Anthony Joshua. I think he’d outbox him for twelve rounds. But I’ve always had in my head that Joshua’s most dangerous punches are mid-range hooks and uppercuts. So Fury would need to keep him at distance all night, tie him up inside. The challenge is that Joshua is actually very good up close and gets great leverage on his shots — most of his knockouts come from hooks and uppercuts, not long right hands. So Fury would need to keep him off balance all night with the feints and the switching. On points, I think, at this stage.
SportsCasting: I think we’d all love to see them fight. It would be a real shame if it doesn’t happen — it’s a part of British boxing history.
David Price: It is a shame they haven’t fought. Better late than never, though. If they can get it done before they both turn forty, I think everyone will be happy with that.
SportsCasting: Completely different topic now — you’re a Liverpool fan, right?
David Price: Yeah.
David Price on Mohamed Salah leaving Liverpool
SportsCasting: Mo Salah’s going to leave Liverpool. What does that mean for the club?
David Price: At the start of the season we were already saying he’d probably go at the end of it. But when it actually came out, you still get that sinking feeling. And then you start seeing the clips of what he’s done over the years and the joy he’s brought to the fans…
For me, he’s a Liverpool icon. He is the player you associate with Liverpool. A few years ago at the football, we used to ask people, “Tell me the first Liverpool player that comes to mind.” And most of them would say Mo Salah — because he was the face of that era. The Klopp era. That was Mo Salah. Unbelievable.
SportsCasting: Liverpool have had some great players over the years — Dalglish, Souness, Ray Clemence in goal. Do you think Salah is the best player ever to play for them?
David Price: Probably not the absolute best, but he’s up there and he’s in the conversation. I don’t think he can be quite on the level of Steven Gerrard or Dalglish. But I’d put him above Suarez — and Suarez was an unbelievable player. The difference is Suarez was only with us for two or three years. Salah has given us nine years at his absolute prime.
Unbelievable player. It’s going to be very sad to see him go, but he deserves a great send-off.
