Pryce: I will leave others feeling sick this time

Posted on | February 26, 2010 | No Comments

Bradley Pryce aims to leave his rivals sick in the Prizefighter Light-Middleweights at the York Hall in Bethnal Green tonight (Friday) after admitting he deliberately vomited before a bout last year in order to make the weight.

The Welshman insists he was not suffering from bulimia a year ago when brought his weight down by being sick after meals ahead of his Commonwealth light-middleweight fight with Manchester’s Matthew Hall.

But the vomiting did not pay off as Pryce lost his Commonwealth crown in a second round defeat.

Pryce, 28, is now looking to revive his career by winning three, three round fights in one night at the York Hall in Bethnal Green – and this time Pryce has stuck to a sensible weight loss programme to ensure he makes the 11stone limit.

The 3/1 favourite said: “I wasn’t suffering from bulimia but I was being sick before the fight to lose weight. For six weeks I was just eating and drinking what I wanted but there was nothing left in me come the fight.

“My legs were buckling under me on the scales at the weigh in and I had a job to stand up. I knew I was going to lose, but I needed the money so went through with it.

“I went down to ten stone nine pounds at one points and I was thinking I could do welterweight but the fight was a wake up call and I’m lucky I can still box on.

“It was very dangerous but I’m working with a nutritionist now and am not doing anything like that again.

“I didn’t see anyone about it because I wasn’t suffering from bulimia. The day after the fight I went out and had ten pints and I didn’t bring that back up. I built myself up again to about 13 stone and I only did it for the Hall fight.

“I got into the habit of doing it but now I’m eating five meals a day and can still make the weight easy thanks to the diet my nutritionist gives me.

“Things are better now and once I knew there was going to be a Prizefighter I started preparing for it.”

Pryce hopes to follow in the footsteps of his gym-mate Gavin Rees, the former WBA world champion who won the Prizefighter light-welterweight tournament in December.

“After seeing Gavin Rees win the last one, I’ve been desperate to fight in one. There were no other options for me because Anthony Small has got a fight next month.”

Pryce faces former British champion Neil Sinclair in his first bout and is determined to avenge an eighth round stoppage defeat seven years ago to the Belfast boxer.

Quarter-Finals

1. George Hillyard v Prince Arron

2. Neil Sinclair v Bradley Pryce

3. Brett Flournoy v Danny Butler

4. Steve O’Meara v Martin Concepcion

Semi-Finals

5. Hillyard/Arron v Sinclair/Pryce

6. Flournoy/Butler v O’Meara/Concepcion

Followed by Final

Prizefighter Light-Middleweights takes place at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London on Friday, February 26. The full line-up is Prince Arron (Droylsden, Manchester), Danny Butler (Bristol), Martin Concepcion (Leicester), Brett Flournoy (Birkenhead, Merseyside), George Hillyard (Canning Town), Steve O’Meara (West Drayton, Middlesex), Bradley Pryce (Newbridge, Wales) and Neil Sinclair (Belfast).

Due to increased demand, tickets for Prizefighter Light-Middleweights have sold out. But you can still see all the action live on Sky Sports HD from 8pm next Friday.

Odds to win Prizefighter (as on SkyBet on Thursday, February 25)

3/1 Bradley Pryce

4/1 Neil Sinclair

5/1 Prince Arron, Danny Butler and Steve O’Meara

15/2 Martin Concepcion

11/1 Brett Flournoy

25/1 George Hillyard