Report by Dewi Powell of Arthur’s Gym
Newbridge’s Bradley ‘Sugar Sweet’ Pryce (34-15, 18KO) believes that he’s far from finished after a gallant challenge to Sergey Rabchenko (25-0, 18KO) in Bulgaria for the European light-middleweight title on Saturday.
Pryce accepted the rematch with Rabchenko on late notice and he was determined to cause an upset. Despite his best efforts, the judges rightly scored the bout in favour of Rabchenko but Pryce took heart from his performance.
He said: “It was a good and entertaining fight. When I’m on TV, I subconsciously put a bit more effort in. It showed that I can perform on the big stage, I boxed a good boy who is highly ranked and I’m happy with my performance but just disappointed I didn’t get the win.”
It was a torrid start to the fight for Pryce who was hurt heavily to the body and given a count in the third round but he battled back from the brink to go another nine entertaining rounds.
He said: “Rabchenko put the pressure on me in the third and he caught me with an absolutely sickening body shot, to be fair. I’ve always had a problem with the early rounds and I did again on Saturday. I wasn’t expecting it but I was confident I could come back in to the fight and I did, after that it was okay.
“I’ve had a good reaction from the fans and a lot of people respect the effort I showed on Saturday. Now I want to get back in the gym and get a fight, I’m hoping I can get a ten rounder or another title fight.”
Pryce, who weighed in two pounds lighter than the light-middleweight limit, is desperate for a meaningful fight to come down at welterweight where he isn’t giving away natural size advantages.
He said: “I spoke to Jamie after the fight and I said if I can’t beat an average British guy at welterweight then it’s time to seriously look at my career and my options. I’ve been walking around 10st 10lbs, that’s why I could take the fight at late notice and that’s what I weighed in.
“I can do welterweight easily, whether I get a chance to fight a British welterweight or not is a different story but that’s what we’re looking for. I’ve been around boxing long enough to know that the next fight is probably be at light-middle.”