Sometimes in the sport of Boxing one may wonder what some experts and fans alike look for in the endless search for rising prospects. For this observer, I tend to look for things that stand out whether it be a fighter’s skills or whether a fighter has charisma that seems to generate interest. In the case of rising Jr. Welterweight prospect Darwin Price both of those things stand out.
Price, a native of Houston, TX began his professional career in 2013 and compiled an undefeated record of 10-0, with 5 Knockouts prior to his encounter with fellow rising prospect Javontee Starks on September 3rd at Cowboys Dance Hall in San Antonio, TX in a fight that headlined a Premier Boxing Champions card and a bout that was fought one pound above the 140lb Jr. Welterweight limit. This appeared to be the definition of a development fight for both fighters as each looked to take the next step in progressing toward contender status.
In Starks, Price faced a slightly more experienced fighter in terms of professional experience having fought four more fights than Price had prior to the bout, but also a fighter who was at a similar stage having recently suffered the first loss of his career in October of last year in losing an eight round unanimous decision to then unbeaten prospect Samuel Figueroa. It interested me to see how Starks would approach this fight against another undefeated prospect.
The story of this fight would be Price’s hand speed and combination punching. For seven rounds, Price consistently beat Starks to the punch throwing and landing double jabs followed by right hands consistently throughout the entire fight. What impressed me about Price’s performance in this fight was not only his commitment to throwing combinations often off of a double jab, but more specifically how he was able to control distance from the outset and create a scenario where he was able to dictate the ebb and flow of the fight where Starks was not able to be effective.
Starks simply had no answer for Price’s hand speed as he was dropped from a double jab, right hand combination in the third round and simply could not find a way to nullify Price’s attack as the undefeated Price continued to dominate the action before the fight was stopped in the seventh round. Although there was simply not much to say about this fight, it was an impressive performance by Price that will surely generate interest. As for Javontee Starks even though he was outgunned in this fight, this observer does not believe that suffering two straight losses will set his career back too far. There are many stories throughout the history of Boxing of fighters suffering setbacks during the early stages of their careers where after a period of time those fighters were able to rebound and go on to have success.
It will be interesting to see whether Starks will fight another fighter who is considered a prospect in his next fight or if he may look to face a fighter who would be considered a journeyman in an effort to boost his confidence. Although taking on a fighter who may have an unflattering record and who may not be well known is not always a sure formula to boost a fighter’s confidence following some setbacks, maybe it would benefit Starks if he could get back in the win column and manage to get a win or two against lesser-known opposition before facing another prospect to attempt to elevate himself toward contender status.
As for Darwin Price it will also be interesting to see who he fights next. This observer believes that possibilities could exist in both the Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight divisions for Price. It is important to remember that Price has only had eleven pro fights and a question that is asked of virtually all prospects is how quickly will their handlers match them against someone who is considered a threat and/or a contender. Obviously, the answer to that question is one that varies depending on the fighter, but it is one that all prospects have to answer in time. Whether or not Price will face a fighter who can provide him a test in his next fight remains to be seen, but based on how well he performed in this fight it would not surprise me to see him test the waters against a fighter who is ranked in the top twenty to top fifteen range in either the Jr. Welterweight or Welterweight divisions.
There are certainly plenty opportunities in both weight classes for rising prospects who were looking to climb the ranks. It may simply come down to what opportunities are available and if those opportunities are viable both from a Boxing standpoint of a fighter looking to establish himself as a player in the division and also from an economic standpoint. No matter what factors in to any decisions that will be made in regard to Darwin Price’s future opposition, he has established himself as a fighter to watch and if he can continue to progress he could well be a player in either division for years to come.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
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