SPOTLIGHT ON HOPEY PRICE- Yorkshire’s Promising Super-Bantamweight
Hopey Price takes to the ring on Matchroom’s NXTGEN show in Newcastle Saturday night for the vacant WBA Continental Super Bantamweight title.
We take a look at the promising young fighter from Leeds. Fresh off the back of signing a new Multi-Fight promotional deal with Matchroom, Price takes on French fighter Thomas Masson live on DAZN.
Hailing from Leeds, UK, the 23 year old Southpaw is regarded as one of the most promising Super-Bantamweight talents in world boxing today. Trained and managed by Dave Coldwell, Price has had a successful amateur career before pursuing his dreams in the professional circuit.
Price’s success can be attributed to his work ethic and dedication to the sport. He got his education at the school of boxing, dropping out of school before reaching his teens. His father gave him his grounding in the gym, and he went on to have a glittering amateur career.
In 2018, Hopey Price landed gold at the European Youth Championships and the Youth Olympics, becoming the first boxer from Great Britain to win gold at a Youth Olympic Games. His impressive performances caught the attention of boxing fans and experts alike, and he decided to turn pro at the age of 18.
He captured the eye of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom who signed Price and gave him his professional debut in November 2019 on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s farewell fight at Manchester Arena. He outpointed Nicaragua’s Joel Sanchez over four rounds, showcasing his slick style and impressive footwork. Price then landed a spot on the undercard of the Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua 2 World Title show in Saudi Arabia, where he scored an impressive third-round TKO over Tanzania’s Swede Mohamed.
In 2020, Price had only one fight due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he made it count. He faced the game Johnny Phillips at Matchroom’s first Fight Camp in Essex in August and secured a unanimous decision win. Price kicked off 2021 with a points win over Daniel Mendoza at Wembley Arena before returning to the Matchroom HQ in the August to win on points against Claudio Grande over six rounds.
Price finished 2021 with a second-round stoppage victory over Zahid Hussain to pick up the IBO International Title on the undercard of Mauricio Lara vs. Josh Warrington 2. He started 2022 in similar form by stopping Ricardo Roman in four rounds at Alexandra Palace. A further two points wins against Alexander Mejia and Jonathan Santana followed in 2022.
Now with his new deal, Price will be setting his sights on picking up titles, the first of which this Saturday night ahead of a certain promotional push by Matchroom for the young fighter.
By Lee Browne
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