‘How I floored Anthony Joshua’
British heavyweight boxer David Price has opened up on flooring Anthony Joshua in training though he believes Joseph Parker is ‘‘clutching at straws’’ to make an issue of it.
Parker has regularly highlighted Joshua’s ‘‘glass chin’’ in the buildup to their March 31 world heavyweight title unification fight, using Price’s effort as one of several examples of the giant Brit being taken to the canvas in training and during fights.
Joshua strongly defended his chin when the fighters met face to face in London earlier this week, and said his 2011 sparring mistake with Price came when he was inexperienced and had ‘‘just come out of a police cell’’.
Though the incident was seven years ago, Price’s explanation reveals a susceptibility by Joshua to some clever combination work as well as confirm he can be taken down.
‘‘I remember it well. I landed a hard shot, a good shot. Similar to the shot Wladimir Klitschko landed on him. I caught Joshua with a throwaway left hook. I sold him that, then caught him with a big right hand,’’ Price told
in the UK, who will broadcast the Parker v Joshua fight.
‘‘He fell forwards, onto his face. He went down heavily. He tried to get up but was on unsteady legs, and the trainer pulled him out. He got helped out of the ring.
‘‘I don’t knock many people out in sparring, with those big gloves. When I did that to him, I wondered: is he fragile? Then I heard he was stopped in the European Championships.’’
Price, who is a noted heavy puncher but has his own suspect chin which has contributed to a professional record of 22-4 with all his losses coming via knockout, confirmed it was the only time he has sparred with Joshua.
He felt there should be ‘‘no shame’’ in what happened to Joshua back then.
‘‘There was no shame in it. I’ve done that to a lot of people. It happens,’’ Price told Sky Sports.
‘‘That’s why I’m saying the Parker side seem to be clutching at anything they can get to throw mud around at Anthony Joshua.’’
Price felt Joshua had subsequently proved his chin during his unbeaten professional record with all 20 victories coming via knockout.
‘‘Now, he’s proving to be OK. He didn’t go into a shell. He got rocked by Dillian Whyte and put down by Klitschko, but he can hold a shot,’’ Price said. ‘‘They are clutching at straws.’’