• Heavyweight

Price accepts Haye is off limits

ESPN staff
January 18, 2013
David Price has half an eye on winning a permanent Lonsdale belt © PA Photos
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David Price is resigned to never getting in the ring with fellow British heavyweight David Haye.

Before Christmas, promoter Frank Warren expressed his desire to pit Haye, Price, Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora against each other to determine who rules the domestic heavyweight scene.

But Haye has since stressed that he would not be interested in fighting his British rivals, preferring to hold out for a fight with Vitali Klitschko.

And the penny has dropped for Price, despite him saying that the 32-year-old Haye is on his mind as a potential opponent for a Lonsdale Belt clash.

Price needs one more defence of the British title he won in 2012 in order to keep the belt for life but only wants to get in the ring with a challenger he deems worthy.

"I would not turn it down [a Lonsdale Belt contest] as long as we can get an opponent who would raise me to the challenge," Price is quoted as saying on livefight.com. "It would have to be against a fighter who I believe is world level like Dereck Chisora or Tyson Fury.

"My friend, David Haye is about but he seems focused solely on getting a fight against Vitali Klitschko. There isn't anyone else I can raise myself for, but who knows someone might come through and I can keep the belt outright."

Price's next fight is against American Tony Thompson on February 23 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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