If Price exacts revenge on Thompson, he could set up mouthwatering heavyweight tournament with Chisora, Haye and Fury

By Jeff Powell for the Daily Mail

Published: 19:01 EDT, 1 April 2013 | Updated: 20:00 EDT, 1 April 2013

David Price’s decision to take a working man’s rematch with Tony Thompson rather than a high profile fight against Dereck Chisora does little for his bank balance but a great deal for his integrity as a prospective world heavyweight champion.

The Liverpool giant is going down the road of honour followed by the contenders of old. Seeking to avenge a rare defeat used to be one of the ring’s best-observed traditions.

Price feels the need to do the same and by going straight back into the firing line against the American veteran who inflicted a shock KO and first defeat on his record he stands to enhance his title credentials.

Shock: David Price (left) was knocked out by Tony Thompson in Liverpool but will get the chance of revenge

Of course there is a risk involved. Not only that but it is costing him financially. Thompson comes much more expensively to Liverpool on July 6 than he was paid for his first visit to the Echo Arena, while a fight with Chisora would have been big domestic box-office,

But Price says: ‘I know I need to set the record straight against Thompson.’

Assuming he does just that, Price also knows that he will be able to re-position himself more quickly for a challenge to Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko.

Tyson Fury, who makes his US debut against former world cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham in New York this month, is currently ahead of Price and the returning David Haye in that queue.

But Fury’s promoter Mick Hennessy has hinted at an appetite for facing Price in due course.

The reality is that the Brit pack are unlikely to get a crack at any of the belts held by the Klitschko brothers until well into next year and they may first have to fight each other to decide which one, or two, of them deserves that privilege.

So Price has time to expunge what appeared to be something of a freak  stoppage by Thompson when his ear-drum was so severely perforated by a right hand punch to the side of the head that the fluids of equilibrium spurted out and he lost his balance.

Assuming he prevails against Thompson and that Fury, Chisora and Haye win their sprin contests, the potential would be created for a four-man tournament slug-fest.

While it is by no means certain that all the parties would agree, such a happening would be another welcome throw back to the ring’s glory days. Compelling domestic battles used to be the life-blood of British boxing.

We can but hope.

David Haye

Tyson Fury

Dereck Chisora

Peterson in the clear... this time

So apparently the latest doping scandal in Washington DC points the finger not at Lamont Peterson but at the challenger against whom he successfully defended the IBF light-welterweight title of which he should have been stripped after admitting to steroid use at the time of his victory over Amir Khan.

First reports indicated that Peterson was the culprit again but after further investigation the defeated Kendall Holton is said to be the fighter who failed the test.

So Peterson is free to go on to fight Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse on the Atlantic City bill on May 18 which will also feature Kell Brook challenging Devon Alexander for the world welterweight title.

Clear: Lamont Peterson was wrongly accused of having failed a second drug test

Since Khan is being primed to fight the unified champion who will emerge from a mini-tournament in America which includes Peterson and Matthysse, be sure our young man from Bolton will be closely watching what happens on the Boardwalk.

There were serious concerns about the way the Washington commission conducted and handled the drugs tests when he lost that highly controversial decision to Peterson.

So although the procedures are proclaimed as being more transparent this time, fighting Peterson in  the United States capital  which is his home town will still carry a government health warning in the minds of many boxers.

Amateur code catches up

At last amateur boxing is to change the scoring system which has been so open to corruption and  produced so many outrageous – scandalous even - decisions, not least at the Olympic Games.
Remember Roy Jones Jnr in Seoul?

Even more importantly, in terms of safety, head-guards are to be discarded in the upper echelons of the men’s amateur game.

There were some strange results in the London Olympics ring last summer – with one or two UK boxers seeming to benefit – but the Rio Games will be all the better for the scoring modification

The constipated method of judges pushing buttons to record scoring blows – which virtually eliminated body shots and combinations from the equation – is to give way to the professional system.

All change: Headguards will be dispensed with in the amateur sport and the scoring system amended

The five officials will score 10 points to the winner of each round, nine or less to the loser depending on knock-downs.

Meanwhile, upon updated medical advice, the head-guards are to go. Evidence that the brain takes  more of a buffeting when that protection is worn has prevailed.

These are important improvements which should have been implemented years ago.

Still, better late than never.

Best of Britain?

The 5-0 defeat suffered by the British Lionhearts in Mexico at the weekend – which cost them their two-legged quarter-final and ended their participation in the World Series of Boxing – was hardly a cause for national mourning.

But it makes an important point.

Public interest in this international tournament would be significantly higher if the teams were made up entirely of the best amateur boxers from each country.

The inclusion of so many foreigners in the line-ups is hardly conducive to patriotic support.