Former British and Commonwealth heavyweight king David Price (22-5, 18 KOs) is in no doubt he has what it takes to continue to mix it with the cream of the crop. The towering Liverpudlian wobbled #1 challenger Alexander Povetkin before suffering a stoppage defeat last time out and is out for a statement victory at Bolton’s Macron Stadium on Friday night. Expect a devasting victory because as Thursday morning Price’s opponent still hasn’t been announced.

“Even though the last fight was a defeat, I feel like I’m building momentum and I can still have a say in the big picture,” said Price. “I see this fight as an investment for the future. Of course, it’s difficult to go from fighting in front of 80,000 against the second best heavyweight in the world to this environment but I’m a professional and it’s a chance to shine.

“I’ve said for a while that I’d love to fight for a world title if I can get to a shot. I will be looking to find my form on Friday and in this game – especially at heavyweight – you’re only ever two or three wins away from something special.

“You’ll rarely see me in a bad fight. I can hold my hands up and say I’ve not got the greatest chin in the world. I’ve been out twice cold but it’s not an issue to me. I have power in my own punches and that always makes for exciting fights.”

The MTK Manchester boxing card also features Jazza Dickens, Ben Sheedy bidding for a Central Area title and Neslan Machado, Craig Bunn and Mike McGoldrick.