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Philly bantamweight Dylan Price feels blackballed as he climbs boxing’s ladder
Rising Philadelphia bantamweight Dylan “The Real Dyl” Price (Photo by Joseph Santoliquito/RingTV.com)
PHILADELPHIA — Dylan Price would like to make 2024 a big year, a coming-out year. The undefeated 25-year-old bantamweight from Sicklerville, New Jersey, just outside Philadelphia, is ranked No. 8 at 118 by the IBF, and will be facing Ernesto Irias this Saturday in the main event for Artie Pelullo’s Banner Promotions from the Cross Insurance Arena, in Portland, Maine.
Price (18-0, 12 knockouts) will be fighting under Banner for the first time.
“I have no problem saying it, I’m really blackballed in the sport of boxing, because you can’t deny my talent,” Price said. “It’s frustrating. You win, but winning does not mean everything in boxing. I know I am blackballed after I left Mayweather Promotions, and I have seen guys I came up with making millions. It is definitely frustrating. I came up with Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia. I feel I am just as talented as they are.
“I do not play the game. I am no one’s puppet. You cannot deny talent. There is no way I will be denied when I get my chance. I am ready to kick down the door this year. It is why this is frustrating. Do not get me wrong, I am happy for all those guys, they worked super hard to get where they are. I am proud of them. I just want my chance. It is that simple. You work hard, you win, and only thing to show for it in boxing does it mean you go nowhere.”
Price has already fought twice this year. Pelullo’s Banner Promotions is an established, respected company that built Ruslan Provodnikov and former four-time, two-division world titlist Acelino “Popo” Freitas, one of the most popular fighters in Brazilian boxing history, also former WBO junior middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade and former WBO middleweight titlist Dmitry Pirog.
“I won’t blame everything on the politics of boxing that has kept us down, we made some bad decisions,” said David Price, Dylan’s father and trainer. “There were some decisions we should not have made. I am grateful for where we are. We are hoping this is the start of something for Artie. I like Artie and I hear good things about Artie. We are hoping this is the start of good things.
“I think Artie will get us to where we want to go. I know Dylan gets frustrated over the politics of everything. I do not. I will not blame everything on the politics of the sport.”
Back on April 27, at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, Price dispensed of tough Argentinian Ernesto Sebastian Franzolini in two rounds. Price won three of his previous four to Franzolini by decision.
“Right now, it is a matter of staying patient and building,” David Price said.
The continued answer for Price is to keep winning.
Joseph Santoliquito is a Hall of Fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito
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