WITH David Haye determined to swap the boxing ring for Hollywood's red carpet after this year, the search is beginning for Britain's next heavyweight king.
The old guard of Audley Harrison, Matt Skelton, Michael Sprott and Danny Williams all tried and failed and the focus has shifted to the next generation.
Leading the charge are Dereck Chisora, who is still heartbroken at losing his big shot at Wladimir Klitschko, and Tyson Fury.
Frank Maloney, who knows a thing or two about producing world heavyweight champions after guiding Lennox Lewis to the top, feels the dark horse on the rails who could eclipse them all is David Price.
The 6ft 8ins Scouser has got his pro career back on track after an abortive start under Haye's Hayemaker Promotions and in his last outing stopped Osborne Machimana in three rounds in his first 10-rounder, which was also a Commonwealth title eliminator.
The Commonwealth gold medallist and Olympic bronze medallist has his next fight at the Liverpool Olympia on April 27 against Raphael Butler.
It is all part of Maloney's plan for the unbeaten Price, who is 9-0, to climb the rankings towards a world title shot next year.
Maloney has been in Liverpool this week to promote Price's latest contest and feels his man can be the successor to Lewis and Haye.
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He says the much-ridiculed heavyweight division is crying out for someone like Price to reinvigorate it after having the life sucked out of it by the Klitschkos.
"I'm very disappointed with the heavyweight division," he said. "Boxing is only as good as the heavyweight division and that is illustrated by the standard of boxing over in America.
"It's only now that people are realising just how good Lennox Lewis was.
"The fact that people still name Lennox Lewis whenever they're asked to name the world champion illustrates what the scene is like now.
"There will never be another Lennox Lewis in my life, but what there is going to be is a new top heavyweight in my life and my belief is that it will be David Price.
"His amateur pedigree has given him the experience and belief in himself to go all the way. I think that now is the time to let him off the leash.
"From 2012 onwards I firmly believe he will be the new dominant heavyweight in world boxing."
Bold words from Maloney. Let's see if Price can live up to them.
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