• Heavyweight

Price: Complacency against Thompson

David Price admits he took Tony Thompson for granted after suffering the first loss of his professional career to the 41-year-old in February.

The British heavyweight suffered a surprise second-round knockout to the American at the Echo Arena in his hometown of Liverpool, and while he will have the opportunity to exact revenge in a rematch on July 6, Price has revealed he underestimated Thompson.

"I had good competitive sparring in the gym and I had a good training camp, but mentally, I did get a little complacent," Price told Buncey's Boxing Podcast on ESPN.

"You're trying to tell yourself you're not, but on hindsight, on the week of the fight in my head I was thinking 'how much credit am I going to get for beating this fella?'

"Especially after the first round when I felt too comfortable if anything. And I think that's what happens. He did look old. He looked a little bit out of shape. I shouldn't have been thinking like that. I've paid the price and it's a lesson learnt and I need to show that I've actually learnt the lesson on July 6."

Following the shock victory Thompson was tipped to take on several fighters, with Tyson Fury - Price's domestic rival - and the returning David Haye being linked. However, a rematch has been scheduled for the summer against Price, and the 29-year-old insists he will not the same mistake twice.

"I don't think it's going to be a problem this time because the man knocked me out in my last fight, so complacency isn't going to even be an issue," Price said. "I do consider myself to be in a fortunate position because there are a lot of fighters who'd give their right arm to be able to fight someone who's beaten them in an immediate rematch.

"But they very rarely get the chance and I'm in a position where I've got the opportunity to try to put things right. What's happened has happened and that's never going to go away but I've got this opportunity to clean the slate in my book."

Price toyed with the idea of getting into the ring against Thompson again, but is glad he made the right choice to have another crack at the same opponent as he believes it will enable him to get back on track to develop his fighting career.

"I truly believe I am ready to take the step into the world level and that's why I've come to the decision that Tony Thompson is the right one for the next fight," he revealed.

"Bottom line is I would be back where I am [before the loss]. What's done is done and the doubts will be there but that can only motivate me. If I can't learn a lesson from the last fight then I'm obviously not as clever as I thought I was."

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