‘I want to build a legacy’: Lauren Price wants world domination after beating Jessica McCaskill
It was a stirring homecoming for Lauren Price as she took the world welterweight crown from Jessica McCaskill in Cardiff on Saturday night.
Price, who won Olympic gold for Great Britain in Tokyo three years ago, is poised to become Britain’s greatest female boxer and could go on to match the likes of Joe Calzaghe as a Welsh fighter. Perhaps she can also do for women’s boxing in Britain what Katie Taylor has done in Ireland.
This is just the start of that journey as she seeks to climb the weight divisions. In only her seventh professional fight, Price dogged it out against McCaskill, one of the most aggressive contenders in women’s boxing. Price inflicted McCaskill’s first defeat at welterweight, although the American has lost at light welterweight to Taylor and Chantelle Cameron.
Indeed, Cameron could be a future opponent for Price in a major fight, and so, too, Sandy Ryan, who drew with McCaskill in her last outing before Saturday night.
Price, known for her technical skills, showed how tough she can be to match the trademark awkwardness of the American, eventually winning a unanimous technical decision to claim an historic title as Wales’ first female world champion. The IBO, WBA and Ring Magazine welterweight world titles are now hers, with the bout brought to a merciful close by the referee in the ninth round because of McCaskill’s swollen eye. Price was awarded the fight 90-82 by all three judges.
The huge plus for Price was the fight being in Cardiff, with the contest shown on BBC 2 Wales as well as Sky Sports. It was a clever move by her promoter Ben Shalom and his Boxxer organisation as that will have guaranteed huge viewing figures.
Price also has the life story (raised by her grandparents and driving a taxi in her late teens) and the athletic skills (she is also a former world kickboxing champion and international footballer with Wales) to connect with a wide audience. Price and her partner Karriss Artingstall, a featherweight boxer and fellow southpaw, are a powerful combination too.
The question mark is her development, and perhaps also her power, but the 29-year-old looks set to become a star in the sport, grounded and determined. It has always been a pleasure to spend time with Price, and her journey will be documented in great detail on many fronts as she continues in her bid to dominate the sport.
“The atmosphere has got to be up there with winning Olympic gold,” Price told Sky Sports after the contest. “I can’t thank everybody enough, it means the world. Credit to my opponent, I respect her, she’s a credit to women’s boxing and boxing in general. She came at me from round one and it took me a while to get my distance, but I enjoyed myself and I’m only going to get better.
“I want to fight at the Principality Stadium, that’s the dream. I want to build a legacy and create greatness. This is just the start. You see what Katie Taylor did for Ireland, I want to do the same for Wales.”
Price certainly started that journey in convincing fashion.
