DAVID PRICE will take on the world’s leading heavyweight champion next – after winning just his fifth pro fight.
Liverpool’s own heavyweight hopeful cruised to a 63-second knockout victory over Heywood’s Martin Grainger at Leigh Sports Centre live on Sky Sports.
Yet just moments after leaving the ring on Friday night, Price revealed his immediate focus has now switched to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.
However, the 26-year-old Olympic bronze medallist will actually be taking on the role of the current world number one, rather than facing him in the ring.
Price has agreed to spar Poland’s Albert Sosnowski as the European champion works towards challenging Vitali in Gelsenkirchen on May 29.
Price said: “Frank (Maloney, promoter) is talking about me going over to Poland for a couple of weeks to help Sosnowski prepare for Klitschko and I’d jump at that.
“I’d like to go over there and work with him, that’s the type of sparring that will bring me on while I also believe that my height and style make me the ideal spar for Sosnowski too.”
Grainger simply wilted under Price’s power, before admitting afterwards: “It’s not for me this heavyweight game!”
The Heywood fighter, who had a vocal band of supporters at ringside, touched down for an eight count after being caught with a choppy left hook on the top of the head from Price inside the first 40 seconds.
And while he managed to beat the count, Price finished him off almost immediately after a long left to the body. Clearly winded, he never even looked like recovering.
Price added: “I felt relaxed at the start and really wanted to get my fast jab going.
“I won’t complain or apologise about stopping him quickly. That was the first time in the pro’s that I’ve stopped anyone with a body shot and the first time I’ve dropped someone with a left hook to the head, so I am happy.”
And he added: “I want to have six fights this year and I want to really keep busy and move up the rankings. I think Frank recognises that I can go far and that I am the best heavyweight he’s got and so I just want to be kept busy.”
Maloney confirmed afterwards that Price’s next outing would be in Dagenham on May 14.
Another Maloney fighter desperate to move on and, back into title class for that matter, is Gary Davies who like Price enjoyed a tremendous first round knockout victory in Leigh.
The St Helens bantamweight was originally lined up to fight for the vacant English title on Friday, but instead kept busy against former flyweight ruler Andy Bell.
