BRITISH trainer Joe Gallagher failed to get a reaction out of a typically stoic Lauren Price ahead of her unification showdown with Natasha Jonas.
The two welterweight champions will lock horns tomorrow evening, headlining an all-women’s Boxxer card at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.
WBC and IBF titlist Jonas, 16-2-1 (9 KOs), has amassed seven victories since losing a fiercely contested decision to Irish phenom Katie Taylor back in 2021.
The best of her wins arrived against WBO champion Mikaela Mayer last year, when she was forced into a compelling battle before edging a split decision.
WBA titlist Price, 8-0 (2 KOs), meanwhile, is still yet to lose a round since claiming her gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
For the most part, her flawless streak has been against limited opposition, though a notable victory over former undisputed queen Jessica McCaskill saw the 30-year-old capture her black and gold strap last year.
With Jonas, too, enjoying a fine run of form in recent years, their clash for three of the four major titles at 147lbs should deliver fireworks.
But seemingly, those fireworks have been sparked somewhat prematurely, with Jonas’ long-term trainer, Gallagher, prodding and poking Price at today’s press conference.
At first, the seasoned coach expressed his frustration after Price failed to uphold her media commitments yesterday, suggesting that she could be struggling to make weight.
The slick southpaw then responded by confirming that she had met her check weigh-in that morning up in Sheffield, where she trains alongside head coach Robert McCracken.
By the end of their exchange, though, both sides appeared to reach a more respectful state of affairs ahead of Friday’s intriguing dustup.
