• Heavyweight

Price slams 'coward' Fury for running scared

David Price believes Tyson Fury knows he would lose if they fought © PA Photos

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David Price has branded Tyson Fury a "coward" for choosing to vacate his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles rather than accept a fight with the Liverpudlian.

Fury announced his decision on Wednesday, just as an eagerly anticipated domestic showdown with Price was due to go to purse bids ahead of an expected contest in the summer.

Price - who beat Fury when both men were in the amateur ranks - believes his rival is running scared from a bout he knows he would lose.

"I'm sick," said Price. "I'm just disappointed, really. I was excited because an offer was sent across by [Fury's promoter] Mick Hennessy to Frank [Maloney, Price's promoter] so I'd got me hopes up that they wanted to fight and were going to put a bid in for purse bids.

"The fact that they didn't even attempt to put a purse bid in tells me they had no intention of making the fight in the first place.

"I'm just sick, really. I've got to move on from it, and move forward. I just expected a bit more of him as a fighter, to be honest.

"I think he knows I've got his number and I'll take him out. I'll end Tyson Fury if I ever fight him - that'll be the end of him; I'll end him - the myth will be gone; I'll destroy the myth that is Tyson Fury and I think he knows it."

Fury has expressed his intention to now search for fights at European and world level, but Price doubts that will prove straightforward.

"He's got no chance of winning a world title whatsoever. I'm interested in seeing what his next move is going to be because there's no one for him to fight that's going to give him credibility," Price added.

"The European title's tied up for the time being. The WBA title [Alexander] Povetkin's got that he says he's going after - that's tied up for a couple of fights. It's going to be interesting to see his next move but I'm not interested in him anymore. As far as I'm concerned, he's a coward - leave him to it."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.