David Price has admitted that he did not see the punch that knocked him out coming.
Heavyweight prospect Price had his unbeaten record ended by veteran American Tony Thompson in stunning fashion in Liverpool this evening.
The fight was stopped after Price was floored towards the end of round two, and the 29-year-old admits that although he felt comfortable, he was hit with a good shot.
"I didn't see the punch. He caught me and the referee stopped it. It was a good shot, what can I say," Price told BoxNation afterwards. "It's heavyweight boxing at the end of the day.
"I think it caught me on the back of the neck or the side of the neck, and then you get knocked down and find yourself on the floor. It's just one of those things.
"You can get caught by a big punch. I've ended plenty of fights like that and now it's happened to me. I felt comfortable, I was looking for openings and I just got caught by a punch. You don't see those and they are the ones that hurt."
Price had been seen as a potential successor to the Klitschko brothers as heavyweight king. He still holds the British title.