David Price Aims to Walk Tall in the Heavyweight Division After Turning Nasty

In his Twitter bio, David Price describes himself as a "Big Horrible Heavyweight."

There is no doubting the first part of that sentence. At 6'8", Price qualifies as big. But horrible? Surely not. The Englishman has always come across as something of a gentle giant.

However, that was then.

Now, according to his new trainer, Dave Coldwell, the nice Price has gone, banished from the gym and never to be seen inside a ring.

The time has come for the fighter to bring out his horrible side. Coldwell told Sky Sports (h/t James Dielhenn of SkySports.com):

"

I've always said he's too nice, too amiable, too soft. He's like the Big Friendly Giant. I've told him he needs to get that dog in him, get that devil in him.

I love it! I've known him since before he was a pro, he's always been a nice fella and a gentle giant. His warm-ups were so laid back, there was no attitude to go out and destroy. I like this attitude that Pricey is getting—he's a massive, 20st man and he needs to impose himself by being a vicious animal.

"

In case you don't know, The Big Friendly Giant (or BFG for short) Coldwell refers to is the lead character in a children's story by the well-known author Roald Dahl.

While the BFG filled up on "snozzcumbers"—they are not available in your local supermarket, before you worry you've missed out on the latest super-food craze—the rest of the giants in the book dined out on children.

Price, however, wants to feast on some of his fellow heavyweights.

He has made clear his desire to take on compatriot Anthony Joshua, going so far as to reveal to Sky Sports (h/t Richard Damerell of SkySports.com) how he once knocked his compatriot out in sparring.

However, that was then.

Joshua was a raw amateur at the time of the session. He has since gone on to not only win a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics but also claim a world title in the paid ranks, becoming the darling of British boxing in the process.

Price was once held in such high regard.

Having picked up a bronze when representing Great Britain at the 2008 Games in Beijing, the early stages of his pro career included stints as British and Commonwealth champion.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael was so impressed he named Price as his prospect of the year at the end of 2012.

But, unlike Joshua, the 33-year-old has endured some setbacks. The bigger they come, the harder they fall.

The planned charge towards a world-title shot came to a sudden and shocking halt when he suffered back-to-back stoppage losses against veteran American Tony Thompson.

The response was a change in promoter, as he opted to join forces with the Sauerland brothers. The move saw Price head to mainland Europe in an attempt to rebuild his battered reputation.

The plan worked...for a while. However, he came a cropper when trying to claim the vacant European belt against Erkan Teper in July 2015, with a second-round KO raising serious doubts over his future in the sport.

He admitted to Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail that he considered hanging up the gloves: "It was far worse than the two losses to [Tony] Thompson because they were referee stoppages, not flat-out KOs. I was in anguish for months. The urge to box was gone. Totally gone."

However, that was then.

Price didn't suffer any serious physical injuries against Teper, but his pride needed time to heal. That process must have been aided by the news his previous foe had failed a drugs test.

Shockingly, it wasn't the first time it had happened to poor Price.

Thompson had also fallen foul of the testers, as hydrochlorothiazide (a diuretic and masking agent) was discovered in his sample after their 2013 rematch, per Declan Warrington of MailOnline.

Eventually, Price decided it was right to return to the ring. After over 10 months of inactivity, he made a low-key comeback on May 29.

On the night hometown hero Tony Bellew was crowned a world champion at Goodison Park in Liverpool, a fellow local boy was taking the first step on another comeback trail.

It could well have been Price topping the bill that night (although, as a huge fan of Liverpool FC, he would have chosen a different venue on the other side of Stanley Park). Instead, he found himself up against Vaclav Pejsar—an unknown Czech who lasted less than five minutes—in an eight-rounder.

According to BoxRec, Price will be back out again on October 15, though it is not yet known who he will be up against.

Coldwell wants his man to be tested. He told World Boxing News that the aim is to get Price prominent again in the world rankings and to "open doors towards the Anthony Joshua’s of the world."

Joshua is the obvious target. Price declared his willingness to take on the IBF champion on Twitter (WARNING: Linked tweet contains NSFW language) before the end of the year—it remains to be seen if his wish will be granted.

Such talk at least shows both fighter and trainer realise it is now or never.

Price surely knows another defeat, particularly if he were to be knocked out again, would signal the end of the road. If that is the way his career is going to end, it might as well be in a big fight.

With that in mind, he has signed a managerial agreement with MGM. The aim is clear: get a shot at a world champion. Any world champion.

And, despite the setbacks in the past, Price's stock seems to be on the rise.

Coldwell's presence in the corner has been seen as a huge positive. The trainer is hot right now, having helped Bellew win a world title at third attempt. He has also had success with the McDonnell twins, Gavin and Jamie.

Yet only so much technical work can be done during training camps. The partnership will live and die by Price's ability to take a punch, because despite what we now know about Thompson and Teper, it is impossible to forget what happened in those bouts.

However, that was then.

The new, nasty Price is talking the talk. His achievements should not be overlooked, though Liverpool's BFG has his sights set on bigger prizes than British and Commonwealth titles.

Crucially, unlike the character in Dahl's famous book, Price can decide how the story ends.

Follow @RobLancs79