Tag Archives: price

Posted on 06/18/2019

By: Blaine Henry

Dylan Price could be TMT’s next young star. After a knockout victory on the undercard of Deontay Wilder and Dominick Breazeale, Price moved to 8-0 with 6 by knockout. I had the chance to talk with him and his father about his win, what’s next for his career, and what it was like being signed to TMT.

All athletes get their start somewhere. Everyone starts at zero. Price was no exception. He played multiple sports and just couldn’t find what he was looking for. He couldn’t find his groove. “As a child I tried every sport. I was playing football and I had to move up to the 125 pounders and I was only weighing 55 pounds. So my dad told me I had to try out boxing because it was a family tradition.” And that’s all it took. Price instantly fell in love with boxing. “[My dad] said that I didn’t have to like it but I did have to try it out. Ever since my first day in the gym I just fell in love with it.” The rest was history. After a lenghty amateur career, Price turned pro, and then signed with TMT at a 1-0 professional record

“I was just super thankful. Blessed. I was honored. It is motivation to me,” says Dylan Price about his signing to TMT. He continues: “Floyd [Matweather] is one of the best fighters ever, you know. It’s an honor and I’m super thankful.”

The lone blemish on Price’s record, if you could call it that, is a no contest to Pedro Antonio Rodriguez back in January. Originally a loss for Price, the decision was overturned due to Rodriguez failing a drug test.

“With that fight, we got the opponent late,” says Price’s father. “We had a couple of guys fall through. In December in Vegas, we got down there and the opponent didn’t make it through customs. So they set it up for January. We were scheduled to leave out on Monday and by Friday they didn’t have an opponent. At that point we were pretty desperate. They came up with this guy on Saturday. We didn’t love it, but we just had the disappointment of not fighting in December and it looked like it was going the same route so we took that chance. In hindsight as a manager, as a trainer, and as a dad, that’s something that I learned from. No matter the situation, if I don’t think it’s a good fight, we’re going to have to pass.”

Short notice and he took the loss like a true champion. They don’t see the fight as a no contest, either. Both Price and his dad see the fight as a loss. They hope, and will, grow from that without it being detrimental to his career.

Just after father’s day, dad’s are the most proud in the world. Mr. Price has more to be proud of than most fathers. “He’s worked so hard since he was 10 years old. He’s always been a hard worker. We had a lot success, disappointment, success, disappointment and then, the last three years of his amateur career, he really found his stride. Then we turned it into the pros. He was successful as well. I’m very, very proud.” Here’s that awareness of his “defeat” again: “Even with the defeat, of course we found he was on steroids, but at the time, I was proud. He got off the canvas and he made a fight out of it. A lot of people thought we still won, including myself. I’m very proud of him.”

Going into his last fight with Manuel Salvador Manzo, Price and his camp had a solid gameplan. They knew the orthodox fighter would come out guns blazing. “My dad studied a lot of tapes on him. That was a part of the game plan from the rip. I didn’t want to do a lot of moving because in the game plan, we watched a lot of his opponents were moving around a lot. Every guy we seen him fight ran around the ring and was tired after the first round. He threw 150 punches a round. My dad just wanted me to stand in the ring, not run all over the place. That was all a part of the plan. You see, the first round he wasn’t used to people standing there with him. That was all part of the game plan.”

It wasn’t until the fifth round that Price had Manzo on the ropes. While he didn’t get the finish in the fifth, he came out in the sixth and got the job done. “I hurt him bad. I hit him with a left hook and a right hand. The next round, they made him see the doctor. I knew if I could let my hands go, it was only a matter of time before either the doctor stopped it or the refs or I knocked him out. I knew it was coming. Going into this fight I thought it was going to be a dog fight.”

Dylan Price and his camp aren’t trying to look too far ahead. The “loss” has the whole camp with a straight mindset on what’s next for his career. “We’re just taking it one fight at a time. I learned from that defeat. Not to overlook any opponenent. I’m just taking it one fight at a time,” Dylan says, referring to his no decsion. “I’m not worried about a world title or anything like that. I’m just worrying about each opponent they put in front of me. As long as I keep winning and keep shining, I’ll have the titles and the money and everything I want. I’m just taking it one step at at time.”

His dad continues, “We’re looking to move to eight rounders on July 27th. Also, when we’re talking about careers, just making sure everyone is on their game. From trainers, I have to make adjustments, to managers and promoters as well. We always got the opponent a week, three days before. I had a talk with Mayweather and Leonard and told them we’re not taking any more fights unless we get the opponent three weeks in advance. I cut out my sparring ten days out. I need to know what I’m preparing for. They’ve commited to us that will be the case. So as for our career, we will have more time to prepare for our opponents.”

Posted on 04/03/2019

By: Hans Themistode

This past Saturday on March 27th, it was a typical boxing weekend. There were a ton a good fights on the telecast including Kash Ali vs David Price. The proceedings started off normally. Both men were boxing and landing their fair share of shots. Ali made it an ugly affair as he tried to rough up Price a bit. He was even docked a point early in the rounds for hitting his opponent on the back of the head.

Punches to the back of the head or better known as rabbit punches and are frowned upon in the sport of boxing. Serious injuries have occurred from these sorts of punches. There is a fine line that boxers try not to cross and that would be one of them. Be that as it may that type of stuff happens. Whether it be intentional or not they just do. What happened shortly after that however went from dirty boxing to just plain bizarre.

In the fifth round both fighters fell to the ground. It was at that point where Ali apparently bit Price while he was on the ground. The referee immediately called off the contest and named Price the winner. That isn’t the end of this story.

It was later found out that Ali bit Price up to four times during the duration of the match. Unfortunately the sport of boxing has an unforgettable history in-terms of biting. Former Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson infamously bit Evander Holyfield during their 1997 rematch not once but twice. In 1999 Middleweight Adrian Dodson bit Alain Bonnamie and was given an 18 months ban.

Price some how was able to keep a level head and not react in a way that would have gotten him disqualified as well. Ali will undoubtedly face a stiff punishment as the British Boxing Board of Control has already withheld his purse and is looking into the matter to determine just how severe his punishment will be. Make no mistake about it, the penalty will be a harsh one.

As for Price this is his second straight win. What he will do next is a bit of a toss up as he has a number of opponents to choose from. One thing we do know is that he does not want to get back into the ring with Ali ever again.

“I don’t want to share a ring with an animal like that again.”

Posted on 09/17/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Ali in 1960 was the Golden Gloves National heavyweight champion and the AAU National light heavyweight runner-up. The last person to defeat him in the amateurs is a name few have ever heard of but this writer knew the name Staff Sgt. Percy Price.

Price served two tours in Viet-Nam. He entered the Marine’s in 1955 and retired in 1976. Price was from Salem, NJ, but retired and moved to Jacksonville, FL.

Price was a 3-time All Marine champion, two Interservice championships and one CISM championship. At the Olympic trials he defeated Hal Epsy to represent the USA in the 1960 Olympics at Rome in the heavyweight division. He won his first match knocking out Ronald Taylor of Australia in two rounds. In the quarter final he lost to Josef Nemic of CZ 4-1. Nemic appeared in three Olympics in 1956, 1960 winning a Bronze Medal and 1964.

In 1956 he was knocked out by USA’s Pete Rademacher in two rounds. The latter went on to win the Gold Medal in the Olympics and fought Floyd Patterson in his debut for the heavyweight title having the champion on the floor in the second round before being knocked down six times and for the last time in the sixth round.

Ali represented the USA in the light heavyweight division. Ali always had a problem with southpaws. He lost to Amos Johnson in the 1959 Pan Am Trials. He went onto get to the finals after defeating Yvon Becaus, of Belgium, RSC 2, Gennadi Schatkov, of USSR 5-0, Tony Madigan, of Australia, 5-0 and in the final Poland’s southpaw Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, 5-0.

If Ali would have represented the USA in the heavyweight division and he would have got to the semi-final he would have met another southpaw from Italy Franco de Piccoli who defeated the man Price lost to Nemec 4-1. Then he defeated Daan Bekker of South Africa for the Gold Medal.

As a professional de Piccoli won his first twenty-five fights, twenty by knockout before losing to American Wayne Bethea and then Jamaica’s Joe Bygraves by knockout in back to back losses. He would go onto win his next twelve fights before losing his last two bouts by knockout to American Everett Copeland, 3-7-3 and Peter Weiland, 8-2 in his final fight.

In closing out his career he was 37-4 (29) at age 28. Some of the boxers he defeated were Billy Daniels, 19-6-1, who gave Ali fits as a pro. Also, Americans Herb Siler, 20-9, who Ali defeated earlier, Floyd Joyner, 23-9-3, Howard King, 42-26-8, Tony Hughes, 26-2, Buddy Turman, 35-9-1 and German Uli Ritter, 21-9-6, breaking a bone in his left hand.

Ali’s amateur record was mentioned with six different totals like 100-5, 118-5, 127-5, 134-7, 137-7 and 99-8. He was a six-time Kentucky Golden Gloves champion.

Posted on 04/18/2018

By: Sean Crose

On the night of April 22nd 2017, a fight card was held at the Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. During the earlier portion of the six bout event, a young super flyweight from Sicklerville, New Jersey entered the ring to face the 1-3 Christopher Nelson of Kentucky. The young Jersey native appeared to be taken by surprise at first, as the taller Nelson employed footwork energetically and effectively kept his distance. Yet Dylan Price appeared calm and focused through it all.

“I was a little bit frustrated,” Price admits almost a full year later. “My dad just told me to stay calm.” And stay calm Price did, landing his fast, solid shots when possible and gassing his opponent out. By the third round, Nelson was drained and ready to go down. Price made sure he didn’t make it to the bell. Price left the ring that night 2-0. He also left that ring with his first victory since signing up with Floyd Mayweather’s Mayweather Promotions.

Price’s rise has been steady since then. Three more victories, all by knockout, one being on the undercard of the Shawn Porter – Adrian Granados fight, another being on the undercard of this past winter’s Errol Spence – Lamont Peterson bout, have made the fighter from Sicklerville one to keep an eye on. Price’s next fight will be against the 2-2-0 Edson Eduardo Neri this Saturday night on the undercard of the Adrien Broner – Jessie Vargas match at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center.

“I feel great,” Price says about this weekend’s bout. “I’m ready to go…he (Neri) is a tough, rugged guy. I know I’m going to be way too much for him.” And if Price wins yet again, as expected? “I’m just taking it one fight at a time,” he says. As for winning by knockout for the sixth time in a row (which would make for a 100% knockout ratio) Price isn’t overly concerned. “It’s a good thing,” he says in regards to getting a knockout. Still: “Every time I go into the ring, I ‘think this guy’s going the distance’.”

Boxing is a family affair for Price. His father, David, boxed himself, as does a younger brother. “My dad was a professional fighter,” Price says. “He was 1-0.” The elder Price eventually moved on to focus on his studies. The family’s ring background, however, stuck with Dylan. “That’s also how I got into it,” he states. “I always wanted to do it.” There’s clearly a close bond between David and his prodigy son. “I’m super excited,” says David of Dylan’s success. “I always felt that I had something special.”

Not that the two men always agree. Like all father-son teams, differences of opinion are bound to come up. As David says: “I’m not just a dad. I’m a trainer.” One such issue arose when Dylan, who was too young to qualify for the 2016 US Olympic Team, decided he wanted to go pro. “Tough for my Dad,” Price remembers. “He wanted me to stay amateur.” Ultimately, however, the elder Price relented. “He let me turn professional because that’s what I wanted,” Price says.

The two men remain a team to this day. Yet Price is also part of another team right now – the Mayweather Promotions team. “It feels great,” Price says about being part of the elite Mayweather lineup. “They definitely treat me great. I’m definitely thankful.” Price has even had the chance to speak to Floyd Mayweather himself on occasion.

“He gave me a few pointers,” he says of the all time great. “He’s motivated me to keep striving and working.” Being the source of great expectations comes with a price, however. Price is not a young man who spends large amounts of time lounging about. “I enjoy going to the movies,” Price says, “hanging out with my friends…I don’t really party at all.” What Price does do is train religiously, for he wishes to fight “three to four times a year.” Unlike some modern fighters, Price clearly aims to stay active.

Having been boxing since the age of nine, Price is well aware of the discipline required of his craft. “The only difference (between amateur and pro training),” he says, “is more rounds sparring and on the bag.” And roadwork?“I do three to four miles (daily),” he says. To Price, focus and drive are extremely important. Ask him what his top priorities are and he’ll respond: “My Heavenly Father and my family.”

“My family means the world to me,” he states. “My family will always be there for me.” In response, Price wants to always be there for his family. He speaks admiringly of seeing Floyd Mayweather in camp for last summer’s Conor McGregor fight, how the iconic fighter had clearly taken care of his own family financially. “My main goals,” says Price “are – one – become a world champion. Two – become a millionaire.” And yes, there’s a third. “I don’t,” he claims, “want to be ordinary.”

Still, it’s the thought of taking care of those closest to him that drives Price the most. “I want that probably even more than being a world champion,” he says. Giving himself and those around him “a stress free life” is the dream of this nineteen year from New Jersey. “That’s really my goal,” he says. “That’s what I admire about Floyd.”

Reminiscing about his upbringing, Price states that “everything I needed, I had…I didn’t come from nothing. I came from something. I just want to take it to the next level.” Continuing to win will certainly help Price achieve his goals, as will the guidance of David and Mayweather Promotions. Still, this is a young man who happens to be less than twenty years old. Surely Price must feel the stress of being a rising star. “Honestly no” he says. “I love what I’m becoming.”

“I didn’t think that I would be in this position,” he adds. “I’ve still got so much farther to go.”

Posted on 12/20/2016

What’s Next for Shannon Briggs?
By: Iftisaam Khan

Having suffered a number of setbacks in his career of late, Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Briggs will be certainly looking to put that all behind him as he aims to return to the ring next year. Reflecting on a year of bad luck, the American will be rather disappointed at his inactivity in the ring as he was overlooked on numerous occasions due to a number of reasons.

Looking for an opponent initially saw the 45-year-old focus his efforts on securing a bout with Heavyweight rival, David Haye which eventually came to no avail. Chasing the fight saw ‘The Cannon’ go around the country gate-crashing press conferences and media events to call out the Londoner but his efforts eventually turned futile. At times the prospect of thefight being made actually looked promising with Briggs featuring on the undercard of Haye’s fight, but it turned out that was the closest the American was going to get to Haye as he overlooked the American and weeks later announced his next fight against Tony Bellew in 2017.

If his luck couldn’t get any worse, his hopes of attaining a heavyweight title this year weredashed after his opposed fight with Australian, Lucas Browne was cancelled after his opponent was found to have had taken banned substance, Ostarine leaving the former world champion looking at the coming year for a change of luck.With the Heavyweight scene currently thriving there won’t be a shortage of options.

Dilian Whyte

One potential opponent in the new year could be the ‘Body Snatcher’ who will be looking to take as much time off from the ring as possible given his superb performance against Derick Chisora in a fight being touted as fight of the year. The possibilities of seeing Briggs and Whyte share the ring next year are unlikely with Eddie Hearn hoping for a rematch instead between Whyte and Chisorainstead.

Luis Ortiz

A more realistic possibility could see the ‘Cannon’ take on fellow compatriot and friend, Luis Ortiz who recently overcame a brave Dave Allen in Manchester; stopping him in the 7th round. A fight between the pair would make sense for both parties but time will tell.

Dave Allen

A fighter who’s known for his willingness to share the ring with anybody, the ‘White Rhino’would be a great option as a step up of opposition for Briggs who will be looking to ease his way back in the heavyweight scene.

David Price

Looking to resurrect his career is Liverpudlian, David Price. The fighter will be looking to make everyone forget about his 3 defeats to Tony Thompson and ErkanTepen which came as a big shock to the boxing world as at the time Price was touted for special things in the division. Time is on his side to establish his career again but another slip up cannot be afforded.

A logical fight for both parties, Briggs would provide a stern test for the scouser who is aiming for a shot at World Champion, Anthony Joshuain the near future.