Lauren Price of Wales boxed quite brilliantly last night in not only defeating, but dominating Natasha Jonas in their welterweight unification clash in London. Price, who captured Olympic gold last year and has had just nine pro fights, looked flawless in winning a wide, lopsided decision over Jonas. The scores – 100-90, 98-92, and 98-93 – were indicative of how one-sided the fight really was.
Price, now 9-0(2) walked away with the WBA, the IBF and the WBC world titles at 147 pounds. Jonas, aged 40, fell to 16-3-1(9) as a result of the comprehensive loss, and she says she is now considering retirement. Jonas has been a proud servant of the sport and we fans wish her well with whatever it is she opts to do moving forward.
For 30 a 30-year-old Price, the sky really is the limit. Supremely talented, a hard worker in the gym, and a fighter who “lives the life,” as she says herself, Price now wants to fight the winner of the upcoming return fight between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan. While as she said in speaking with BBC Sport and also with IFL TV after her win at The Royal Albert Hall, Price wants to fight back at home in Wales soon, while she also wants to follow in the footsteps of Irish star Katie Taylor and “fill out big stadiums.”
“I’ve been told that I could possibly be boxing in August,” Price said to BBC Sport. “I want to come back to Wales, if it’s not the winner of Mayer or Sandy next, I want that by the end of the year. I want to be active, I’m motivated and driven and I believe I can go all the way.”
“I want to be filling big stadiums,” Price said in speaking with IFL. “You’ve seen what Katie Taylor’s done for the game; she’s Olympic champion and she’s got Ireland behind her. I’ve got Wales, I’ve got a nation [behind me], and I feel I can follow in her footsteps.”
As special as Price has looked, and not just in last night’s fight, there is a real possibility she could be recognised as the pound-for-pound best female boxer in the world one day quite soon. Women’s boxing really is buzzing right now, and we have some great fighters doing their stuff in Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Claressa Shields, Mayer and Ryan, and others. But some good judges do feel Lauren Price is well and truly on her way to greatness.
Who wins if Price does fight the winner of the upcoming rematch between Mayer and Ryan? As good as both Mayer and Ryan are, it would take a brave fan to predict either of them as being a definite winner over Price.
