Unified welterweight champion Lauren Price is considering her next steps in the boxing world, with exciting possibilities on the horizon, including bouts against Mikaela Mayer and Claressa Shields.
Currently, a showdown with WBO titleholder Mikaela Mayer, holding a record of 21 wins and 2 losses with 5 knockouts, appears to be the more immediate prospect. Mayer has openly declared her ambition to achieve undisputed champion status in the 147lb welterweight division.
Mayer, aged 34, demonstrated her boxing skills in her recent fight against Sandy Ryan, securing a clear unanimous decision victory to successfully defend her WBO title. This dominant performance marked an improvement from her previous majority decision win last September, and immediately after her victory, Mayer called out Price.
Price, the reigning WBC, WBA, and IBF champion with a perfect record of 9 wins and 2 knockouts, is also coming off a commanding points victory, having defeated Natasha Jonas in her last fight.
These two top fighters faced off last month at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where Price added two more championship belts to her collection.
Prior to that, the Olympic gold medalist achieved world champion status in only her seventh professional fight by defeating the experienced Jessica McCaskill in Cardiff, Wales.
That particular victory in Cardiff left a significant impression on the 30-year-old Price. Her growing fanbase in Wales is eagerly anticipating the announcement of an undisputed title fight against Mayer.
“The media attention it’s already received has been quite remarkable,” Price mentioned in an interview with Boxing News. “Even just walking into a supermarket, people were asking me, ‘When is the fight happening? I can’t wait to get my tickets.’”
“Like any boxer, I would be thrilled to fight in my home country. When I fought McCaskill so early in my professional career, I was already a significant ticket seller.”
“And then, fighting at the Royal Albert Hall, I sold 1,500 tickets. People have traveled to watch me fight, but if I were to box in Wales, we could potentially sell out a stadium; it could be a massive event.”
However, Mayer has insisted that their potential undisputed clash should take place on neutral ground. Her contentious split decision loss to Jonas last year in Liverpool, where Jonas had the home advantage, is still fresh in her memory.
With both Price and Mayer having previously fought Jonas, comparisons based on their respective performances are inevitable.
Regardless of the contrasting outcomes in those fights against Jonas, Price is confident that it is only a matter of time before she unifies all the titles in her division.
“I believe I would win that fight against Mayer, and it would also be a fantastic matchup,” she stated.
“I honestly thought Mayer had beaten Jonas in their fight, although it was very close. When I fought Jonas, I felt I could have won every round decisively.”
“I don’t really focus on comparing our fights with Jonas, but when considering our individual boxing skills, I simply believe I am the better fighter.”
In a surprising turn of events last week, three-division undisputed champion Claressa Shields, with a record of 16 wins and no losses, including 3 knockouts, expressed her interest in facing Price at 154lbs.
While Shields has recently moved up to heavyweight, Price recognizes the potential for a rivalry with Shields in the future.
“I would absolutely love to share the ring with Shields,” Price said. “My immediate goal is to become undisputed at welterweight, but if Shields is willing to come down to a certain weight, there is definitely potential for two or even three fights between us.”
“We are both Olympic champions, and I think it would be a massive fight. And I am confident that I would emerge victorious.”
