David Price to be trained by lennox Lewis

David Price will take a flight to Canada next week to begin training under the watchful eye of the retired former undisputed world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis.

David and long time trainer Franny Smith have been in talks with Lennox since his defeat at the hands of Tony Thompson in February.

Price demolished McDermott, Sexton, Harrison and Skelton in 2012, and went on to claim the English, British and Commonwealth titles. Thompson was a stepping stone to a fight with Klitschko but he sensationally stopped Price in the second round of their fight in February.

David said “this is a fantastic opportunity to be able to work with one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and I'm sure his knowledge will prove to be invaluable.”

Lennox was dropped twice in his career, but put those defeats behind him and went on to become undisputed world heavyweight champion – three times. He knows that defeat is the measure of a fighter and it is how he handles that defeat that makes a great fighter. ‘David is a dedicated fighter. He takes his training seriously and is single minded in wanting to avenge that defeat and as a fighter I understand that and want to help him towards his goal’

Lewis and Courtney Shand, who was an integral part of the successful Team Lewis, will work alongside Franny Smith in getting Price ready for his July 6th fight in Liverpool. Lewis who will be ringside, will be sharing his chess techniques in training with the focus on calling checkmate on Thompson .

This will hopefully be a double whammy - Getting trained by a great boxer, and the "Lennox Lewis" as a "name" effect will mean more press coverage for Price propelling him onwards and upwards ( if he wins and keeps winning of course )

I say hopefully because we don't know how good a trainer Lennox would be....do we? Has Lennox trained anyone that we know and am I missing something? Training is different to actually boxing just like a great footballer may not be a great coach.

This will be like a double test. How good is Price really? How good is Lennox as a coach really! - great for the PR!

Price and Fury are now on even terms marketingwise - Fury with his mouth and flamboyance, Price as the perfect foil with Lennox as talisman

Really hope it works out and if Lennox is indded very good as a trainer then it could add some more gravitas and integrity to the heavyweight division - the fights themselves with Lennox walking to the ring with Price and then in his corner talking to him between rounds will create a buzz in itself!

Lennox was dropped by great punches...Not slaps on the neck..

Even terms marketing wise????? sorry............

One is unbeaten.....one has been trashed...

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Lennox was dropped by great punches...Not slaps on the neck..

Even terms marketing wise????? sorry............

One is unbeaten.....one has been trashed...

I am pretty sure he was beaten

Wonder how much Lennox is getting paid for this?

Probably more a PR stunt.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Lennox was dropped by great punches...Not slaps on the neck..

Even terms marketing wise????? sorry............

One is unbeaten.....one has been trashed...

Sorry, Ive not been clear. I mean't Lennox on board is great for David Price in marketing terms and exposure - I wasn't comparing them!! Price has done nothing compared to Lennox and this will only work in Prices favor if he keeps winning.

Adam D wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Lennox was dropped by great punches...Not slaps on the neck..

Even terms marketing wise????? sorry............

One is unbeaten.....one has been trashed...

I am pretty sure he was beaten

Lennox was beaten by McCall and Rahman. He avenged the defeats in devastating style - Rahman Ko round 4, McCall SIT ( stopped in tears )

They're getting Lennox's old conditioning coach on board as well, certainly could help Price, he just needs to be a bit less predictable because every man and his dog knows he will look for the big right hand and use the double jab to set it up.

truss means fury is unbeaten.

got to help with the mental side of getting over being put on the canvass by someone you were fully expecting to beat as well!

I believe Lennox is simply giving him some advice re having a suitable mindset and attitude. He stated that he was impressed with Price's decision to rematch Thompson straight after the defeat and it demonstrated the kind of attitude he felt Price needed to make it in the pro game. Of course without the actual in-ring skills, it's going to be nigh on impossible but you can teach a guy how to fight however you can't teach desire.

Wonder what Gordy would make of this, as he repeated on many an occasion all Haye needed to vanquish Wlad was Lennox in the corner so wonders if he believes he will weave a similar magic on a sky hype job like Price.

I think Price will need to work on his ability to take shots. Build it up slowly beginning with a pink feather duster. Once he can handle the concussive effects of that he can move on to a Wham bar.

Was comparing Fury to Price........marketing levels.

Does anybody know where they are training in Canada? Would try to go to the gym!

Seanusarrilius wrote:Does anybody know where they are training in Canada? Would try to go to the gym!

will find out for you

Adam D wrote:

Seanusarrilius wrote:Does anybody know where they are training in Canada? Would try to go to the gym!

will find out for you

Nice one!

How did the interview with Hearn go Adam?

Adam D wrote:

Seanusarrilius wrote:Does anybody know where they are training in Canada? Would try to go to the gym!

will find out for you

Only If he promises not to slap Price in the neck..

Could be a good thing Price's defeat..........Might make Fury think he's an easy night.....Still pick Price to win that one with his straight power punching

No amount of training can put iron on china.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Adam D wrote:

Seanusarrilius wrote:Does anybody know where they are training in Canada? Would try to go to the gym!

will find out for you

Only If he promises not to slap Price in the neck..

Could be a good thing Price's defeat..........Might make Fury think he's an easy night.....Still pick Price to win that one with his straight power punching

I agree with you re Price v Fury.

azania wrote:No amount of training can put iron on china.

However, as Wlad demonstrated, you CAN surround that china with some decent defence

One big difference. Wlad is a good boxer. Price is average at best. Manny Steward had high praise for Fury. I reckon he knew more about boxing than all of us.

Wlad is a good boxer..............

a brilliant oppertunity for price, lewis may be untested as a trainer, but i couldn't think of any body better, i think both men are intelligent and will get on well, and if lewis can pass on 25% of his wisdom price will go far.

still think fury is the one to watch but this is a great boost to price, and if he can get past thompson (which im not sure of) then he can put this behind him and will be back on track.

azania wrote:One big difference. Wlad is a good boxer. Price is average at best. Manny Steward had high praise for Fury. I reckon he knew more about boxing than all of us.

If Wlad was a good boxer he wouldn't have been hammered by Purity, Brewster and Sanders. His boxing skills who have negated any offence they could have mustered. It wasn't until Manny got hold of him that he developed as a boxer. Don't give me any guff about him being an Olympic gold medalist either as proof of his boxing credentials, we've just had one of those retire. Price has decent fundamentals and a desire to do well, as Wlad has shown, get the right people behind you and anything is possible.

Let's face it, if Wlad had beaten Sanders and gone on to face Lewis under his old trainer, Lewis would have KO'd hime so badly, he'd still be woozy today

Can't think of a great fighter that became a great trainer..............

Think it's a pointless exercise............

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Can't think of a great fighter that became a great trainer..............

Think it's a pointless exercise............

True in general.


Corbett did a fair bit of training from memory with good results.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Can't think of a great fighter that became a great trainer..............

Think it's a pointless exercise............

There's hope for Audley then.......

hatton, floyd snr, didnt mccracken do well as a pro?

im sure i could find at least 5-10 more if i googled it

DAVE667 wrote:

azania wrote:One big difference. Wlad is a good boxer. Price is average at best. Manny Steward had high praise for Fury. I reckon he knew more about boxing than all of us.

If Wlad was a good boxer he wouldn't have been hammered by Purity, Brewster and Sanders. His boxing skills who have negated any offence they could have mustered. It wasn't until Manny got hold of him that he developed as a boxer. Don't give me any guff about him being an Olympic gold medalist either as proof of his boxing credentials, we've just had one of those retire. Price has decent fundamentals and a desire to do well, as Wlad has shown, get the right people behind you and anything is possible.

Let's face it, if Wlad had beaten Sanders and gone on to face Lewis under his old trainer, Lewis would have KO'd hime so badly, he'd still be woozy today

He had the basic fundamentals. Price does not. Price looks good going forward but is like a fish out of water when pressured. Skelton showed that.

Price looks good going forward but is like a fish out of water when pressured. Skelton showed that.

Wlad looks good going forward but is like a fish out of water when pressured. Sanders showed that.

I couldn't agree with DAVE more on this point regarding Wlad. I just wish Wlad had been around in the early 90's. Then this crappy reign would never have ocurred as Bowe, Holy, Tyson and Lewis would have smashed him into retirement.

DAVE667 wrote:

Price looks good going forward but is like a fish out of water when pressured. Skelton showed that.

Wlad looks good going forward but is like a fish out of water when pressured. Sanders showed that.

Corrie was a far better fighter than that fat 41 year old. Huge puncher also.

Seanusarrilius wrote:I couldn't agree with DAVE more on this point regarding Wlad. I just wish Wlad had been around in the early 90's. Then this crappy reign would never have ocurred as Bowe, Holy, Tyson and Lewis would have smashed him into retirement.

He's here and is one of the best ever.

azania wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:

Price looks good going forward but is like a fish out of water when pressured. Skelton showed that.

Wlad looks good going forward but is like a fish out of water when pressured. Sanders showed that.

Corrie was a far better fighter than that fat 41 year old. Huge puncher also.

Was Purrity a huge puncher, was Brewster?
Epic fail

In the Purity fight he gassed. Simple. He wasn't breakdancing after a clip around the neck. Plus Wlad has dominated for a decade. Price will never dominate UK let alone Europe. Face it mate, your boy is a Wedgwood chump.

Wlad lost to Purrity and Brewster because ran out of steam. It wasnt his boxing ability that let him down.

manos de piedra wrote:Wlad lost to Purrity and Brewster because ran out of steam. It wasnt his boxing ability that let him down.

what's that scraping sound...the bottom of the barrel?

You never seem to hold Thompson against Haye dave?

DAVE667 wrote:

manos de piedra wrote:Wlad lost to Purrity and Brewster because ran out of steam. It wasnt his boxing ability that let him down.

what's that scraping sound...the bottom of the barrel?

Have you watched the fights?

Why should I? It was his 11th pro fight, Haye wasn't a World Champion like Wlad and having beaten Thompson round the ring for three rounds, it still amazes me that the fight wasn't stopped. However, he gassed and was stopped. He made no excuses afterwards unlike Wlad and his (I was drugged" excuse against Brewster)

However, the point being made is that Wlad ALWAYS had sound fundamentals and I've said that, if he possesed sound fundamentals, he wouldn't have been expending all that energy. Wlad was never an explosive, gung ho, balls to the wall fighter like Haye was when he came on the scene, he was a white Frank Bruno.

This supposed boxing ability should have kept him out of trouble against a guy like Sanders irrespective of his supposed Shavers-esque power. Amazing how Sanders seems to have stopped being a journeyman and is now considered to hit like Thor's Hammer.

The fact remains that the commentators all said Sanders was Wlad's tune-up fight for Lewis and that Sanders was in the last chance saloon. He was expected to get blown away.

And a fat 41 year old slaughtered your boy.

If you watched the fight then you would see it wasnt anything to do with Wlads fundemental boxing skills that caused the defeat - which is what you are suggesting. He beat Purrity from pillar to post for about ten rounds. I dont see where sound fundementals and expending energy are related. One is technical and the other is based on conditioning and strategy.

Sanders hit hard. Are you disputing it? Rahman hit hard and he flattened Lewis. You dont have to be the hardest puncher of all time to possess the kind of power that can lay out a heavyweight. Especially one that isnt iron chinned.

Is your point that if Price had Manny Steward he would become the next Lewis/Wlad?

Price is at best a poor man's Wlad.

That might still be enough to become a short term HW belt holder in a post Klitschko era.

That is his point. Laughable.

You seem to be labouring under the impression that Price is "my boy". Why would you think that? I've said I like the guy and that I think he'd beat Fury (still haven't changed my mind and Fury's outing against Cunningham does little to disuade me from that) but I've also said that he's hardly the finished article.

However you seem to be lambasting him for losing to a guy that has gone 18 rounds with the guy you consider to be a modern great. If that's to be believed then losing to Thompson (irrespective of his age) is hardly something to hold against the guy...especially if you didn't rate him in the first place. Fair do's he got caught with a shot which (although you seem to refute) has apparently punctured his eardrum and having suffered that particular fate myself, I'm not surprised Price was all over the shop.

However, your "boy" Fury was just decked by a CW but seems to be trying to convince everyone he'd just wiped the floor with reincarnation of Evander Holyfield.

Seems bizarre that you would put your faith in a guy like Fury when he's done and shown little suggest that he'd either A/ Win a version of the HW crown or B/ Hold onto it long enough to get his photograph taken with it

manos de piedra wrote:If you watched the fight then you would see it wasnt anything to do with Wlads fundemental boxing skills that caused the defeat - which is what you are suggesting. He beat Purrity from pillar to post for about ten rounds. I dont see where sound fundementals and expending energy are related. One is technical and the other is based on conditioning and strategy.

Sanders hit hard. Are you disputing it? Rahman hit hard and he flattened Lewis. You dont have to be the hardest puncher of all time to possess the kind of power that can lay out a heavyweight. Especially one that isnt iron chinned.

Is your point that if Price had Manny Steward he would become the next Lewis/Wlad?

Given that Manny smartened up Lewis footwork and shored up Wlad's defence, why could he do the same with Price? What is is that Manny saw in Fury that makes him any better than Price as a prospect. Decked by a shot which punctured an eardrum or decked by guys not worthy of being considered journeymen but people believe Fury is the better propect of the two.

Wlad beat a guy from pillar to post for 10 rounds but still can't put the guy out? Sound fundamentals would surely include an economy of workrate which would reduce the possibility of gassing.

DAVE667 wrote:

manos de piedra wrote:If you watched the fight then you would see it wasnt anything to do with Wlads fundemental boxing skills that caused the defeat - which is what you are suggesting. He beat Purrity from pillar to post for about ten rounds. I dont see where sound fundementals and expending energy are related. One is technical and the other is based on conditioning and strategy.

Sanders hit hard. Are you disputing it? Rahman hit hard and he flattened Lewis. You dont have to be the hardest puncher of all time to possess the kind of power that can lay out a heavyweight. Especially one that isnt iron chinned.

Is your point that if Price had Manny Steward he would become the next Lewis/Wlad?

Given that Manny smartened up Lewis footwork and shored up Wlad's defence, why could he do the same with Price? What is is that Manny saw in Fury that makes him any better than Price as a prospect. Decked by a shot which punctured an eardrum or decked by guys not worthy of being considered journeymen but people believe Fury is the better propect of the two.

Wlad beat a guy from pillar to post for 10 rounds but still can't put the guy out? Sound fundamentals would surely include an economy of workrate which would reduce the possibility of gassing.

Purrity had an iron chin and Wlad punched himself out against it. Its as poor a loss as you can hope to have on a record but it wasnt to do with his fundemental boxing ability. Lack of ring experience more than anything. The reason he gassed was exactly because he was too focused on putting the guy out rather than settling for a points win. Audley Harrison - a guy who is often touted as having great fundementals got outpointed by Rogan and Guinn which I think is far more damning an indictment of a boxer with supposedly good fundementals and technique.

I dont doubt Steward could make improvements to Price but its a massive leap of faith to say he could have been the differance between where Price is know and champions that would be considered by many to be the top 15 or 20 all time in their division. Wlad was also early twenties when he lost to Purrity, Price is almost 30 now - so time is not on his side either. Wlad also wasnt taken out by what looked like a cuff around the head.

As for Price and Fury, well Price certainly has the potential to become better than Fury in my opinion. But thats not exactly a ringing endorsement as things are at the moment.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Can't think of a great fighter that became a great trainer..............

Think it's a pointless exercise............

Jack Blackburn was not too shabby a fighter and given he trained Louis he did not do too badly out of training.