• Heavyweight

Price: New tricks will be the difference

David Price played chess against Lennox Lewis © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Thompson brands Fury a 'complete f*****g joke'
  

David Price is ready to avenge his shock defeat to American veteran Tony Thompson, insisting former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has taught him some new tricks.

Thompson floored Price by second round knockout in February, catching the 29-year-old with a vicious right hook in front of his home crowd at the Liverpool Echo Arena.

With the highly anticipated revenge match taking place on Saturday, also at the Echo Arena, Price is confident that Lewis' advice will pay off when he steps between the ropes.

"He hasn't changed too much about me, he's just shown me subtle things which are going to help me," Price told the Liverpool Echo. "They are heavyweight specific things, things that would only work for heavyweights, so it's been perfect.

"He's shown me a few good little tricks but I won't be able to do all of what Lennox has taught me in this fight, and he knows that. One of the most positives aspects is that he is putting his name to me.

"Lennox isn't a boxing trainer and if he is going to move into training then by putting his name to me, then he's taking a chance.

"I've got to get in and prove the goods to show that he has helped me. But that's a compliment to me and shows he believes in me."

In preparation for the bout, Price and his camp spent three weeks at the former WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO titlist's home in Toronto.

Price, whose loss to Thompson was his first defeat in 15 professional fights, admitted it was a bizarre experience to sit and play chess with the 47-year-old - and even stated the glove Lewis had knocked Mike Tyson out with in 2002 had been left in a rather unusual place.

"It seemed a little bit surreal that we were knocking round with Lennox Lewis. Just sitting in his house playing chess or eating pizza with him," Price added. "He's a really cool and down to earth fella.

"You'd sometimes forget what he had achieved until you looked on the wall and see all of his belts in a frame.

"Or the glove he knocked Mike Tyson out with which was just sitting on top of his telly. Not in a case or anything, it's just lashed."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.