HAVING become the first Welsh boxer to win an Olympic Gold medal and the first woman to win a Lonsdale belt Lauren Price is now aiming to be a world champion in her seventh professional bout.
The 29-year-old will challenge Jessica McCaskill, 12-3-1 (5 KOs), for her WBA welterweight strap on May 11 at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, Wales. This means Chicago’s McCaskill will have to defend her title in Price’s home country and attempt to ruin the dreams and ambitions of the Newport fighter.
Fighting McCaskill will represent only the second 10-round contest of Price’s career to date. Having started off in six and eight round bouts she jumped to 10 rounds and created history by becoming the first British female champion beating Kirstie Bavington on points in May last year. Since then, she has stopped former Savannah Marshall opponent Lolita Muzeya in six rounds and in December defeated former Mikaela Mayer foe Silvia Bortot on points.
McCaskill will be facing British opposition for the third time since June 2022 when she lost her bid to become undisputed lightweight champion against Chantelle Cameron. And six months ago in Orlando, McCaskill was fortunate to walk away with a split draw after her unification against WBO welterweight title holder Sandy Ryan in a fight that the 30-year-old from Derby appeared to do more than enough to win. McCaskill also lost to Ireland’s Katie Taylor in December 2017 in an unsuccessful attempt to win the WBA lightweight belt.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Price highlighted how she believed she can defeat McCaskill: “My skillset, my speed, my movement.”
But she is under no illusions as to how big this test is.
“When you look at my pro career Jessica is the best pro person who I am gonna step up and face. Everyone else I’ve felt comfortable [with] in there and won every round clear on the cards. I understand it’s a step up,” Price said.
“Even though I do think the professionals is different to the amateurs there’s nothing like having a 75 kilo Russian running at me for three rounds and me having to boxing rings around her,” she added.
“I have mixed it with the best. I’ve boxed every single style in boxing. There’s nothing I believe that I haven’t faced before so that’s where my belief comes from. I’ve got to prove myself. But when I turned over as Olympic champion that was the dream from the get-go – I want the big fights, I want to move fast, I want to create a legacy. I want to be the next Joe Calzaghe.”
“I’m going for a Lauren Price comfortable win,” she predicted.
McCaskill is on a run of 10 world title fights and reminded Sky Sports viewers that no-one has ever won a title that she owned going into one of those bouts.
“I’ve had to vacate belts, but no-one has ever taken any of my titles and that’s how I plan to keep it,” McCaskill said.
“I feel like I was in the same position where I had almost no amateur fights compared to some of these fighters now and people didn’t think I was ready, and you see where my career’s gone. Multiple world titles, 10 title fights back-to-back. This is her opportunity to shut everybody up and put on a good show.”
