David Price can punch and he can box. Unfortunately, the big British slugger just doesn't take a shot well, and today in Germany, lost for the third time, stopped in round two by unbeaten Erkan Teper.
Teper (15-0, 10 KO) is a 33-year-old German who seems to have fringe contender written all over him, but he employed a fearless approach that paid off, as Price (19-3, 16 KO) just couldn't handle the pressure. Teper popped price with a hard right hand in round one that opened a cut, as Price tried to hold almost every time that Teper got inside and throw his shots. There was absolutely nothing graceful about the approach from Teper, a fairly flabby 252 pounds on the scales, but there didn't need to be anything fancy about the attack, it turned out.
A left hook floored the the 6'8" Price with under a minute remaining in round two. There was no count, and there didn't need to be one. The fight was over as soon as that shot landed, as Price tumbled onto his back. Here's a GIF of the KO:
Price, 32, has been trying to rehab his career with Sauerland Event following a pair of 2013 stoppage losses to Tony Thompson, and he had won four straight fights against pretty safe opposition. Teper figured to be a potentially dangerous fight, and indeed turned out to be so.
The idea of Price salvaging his career from this point is probably a thing of the past. There are plenty of fights he can win, but he's never going to be the contender he was hoped to be, as he just can't take the shots.