NEWBRIDGE boxer Bradley Pryce will fight on despite his latest defeat in Denmark at the weekend.
The 32-year-old was beaten by a unanimous points decision against home favourite Torben Keller in Kolding on Saturday night – the 14th defeat of his professional career.
Pryce, who is now trained by Cwmbran's Jamie Arthur, took the fight on short notice after Lebanese fighter Ahmad 'Baby face' Kaddour and then Italian Giuseppe Langella withdrew.
After a slow start in round one, Keller started to take control from distance. Pryce came forward, but Keller was evasive and countered with repeated overhead rights, which was the pattern for the first half of the fight.
In the seventh Pryce started to score more from distance and in the eighth, he opened up a cut above Keller's left eye, but his corner did a good job in stopping the bleeding.
Pryce tired towards the end but still gave all he had. Both fighters got huge applause from the crowd. The judges had it 98-92, 99-91 & 99-91 for Keller.
“It was disappointing because Bradley just started way too slow,” said former Commonwealth champion Arthur.
“He lost the first six rounds and I said to him in the corner ‘what are you doing? Do you want to win this?’
“He won the last four then and we tried to work on Keller’s cut but it was too little, too late from Bradley.”
But trainer Arthur says Pryce, a Commonwealth champion at light-middleweight during his time as a member of Team Calzaghe, will continue to fight.
“I asked Bradley what he wanted to do and he says he wants to carry on but it will be at welterweight,” said Arthur.
“Keller is a classy fighter but the extra weight on fight night made a big difference.
“The good thing is that Bradley is unhurt and we feel he is a best at welterweight.
“People see him as a danger at welterweight and don’t want to touch. That is why we took the Keller fight at short notice but Bradley’s future will be at welterweight.
“I don’t want to stand by and watch a friend of mine getting beaten up so that is the way forward.”
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