Wednesday 8 February 2017 16:27, UK
After David Price's 'devastating' defeat by Christian Hammer at the weekend, David Coldwell reflects on a painful night and the social media abuse that followed...
It just seemed like a ticking time bomb. Once the bell went, David just tensed right up, and when you are not mentally relaxed, you burn out. Some people don't realise that and think you just haven't trained. No, he sparred 12 rounds for the fight and in the gym he was faster, sharper. He had sparred with some big men, 6ft 6in, 18 and a half stone fighters who are quick.
I can take the grief on social media, but first things first, I'm not a strength and conditioning coach. My fighters have their own strength and conditioning coaches. Price was happy with his coach, but regardless of that, he did 12 rounds eight days before the fight, with two sparring partners.
The mental side of boxing can absolutely drain you and the average man on the street doesn't get that. They just think you're not fit, but you can be as fit as a fiddle and then 'gas' if you're anxious. If you can go at a good pace, be sharp, agile and powerful for 12 rounds in the gym, but yet in a fight you are gassing after three rounds - that's anxiety. It's not like it's something new, this has happened to David before.
It's just so disheartening, I'm devastated for him.
People are also talking about his weight, but he felt so much stronger, fitter and was taking shots better at around 19st 7lbs. David was sturdier on his legs in all the sparring sessions he's had over the last 10 months we've worked together. Price has never put on weight while he's been with me. He actually said he went up to around 24st after the Erkan Teper fight and as his weight came down with training, he felt comfortable at the weights he's trained at, and fought at since then.
Pricey was very confident going into the fight, but when the bell went you could see him tightening up. He was completely different to how he's been in the gym. Having said that, he still did some good things in there, but you could just see the confidence draining away as the rounds went on.
David Haye seems a very bitter man - that's just how he is these days - and having a pop at Pricey, who has never said a bad word about David Haye, was uncalled for.
It's just so disheartening, I'm devastated for him. Everyone knows he has an issue with confidence and things like that. It was horrible watching him in the ring, even after he dropped Hammer. If you are tired, have nothing left, when you drop a man it gives you a spark, but David went to the corner of the ring and was slumped over the ropes.
David Haye seems a very bitter man - that's just how he is these days - and having a pop at Pricey, who has never said a bad word about David Haye, was uncalled for. Tony Bellew mentioned about him and Pricey giving Haye a smashing up in Liverpool before Haye was going to fight Mark Hobson, but Pricey never said anything. He's just a nice fellow with no edge to him and for Haye to give him a kicking on social media like that, it just shows you the class of the man - it's out of order. He has gone down to the level of a Twitter troll. David Price has got no relevance to Haye versus Bellew. None whatsoever.
Regardless of what has happened to David Price in a boxing ring, he is one of the nicest, most amiable human beings you will meet.
