Lauren Price takes on Jessica McCaskill on May 11for the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine welterweight titles in her first world title opportunity just six fights into her professional career; McCaskill is a former undisputed world champion
Wednesday 10 April 2024 13:21, UK
Lauren Price will challenge for her first world title when she takes on Jessica McCaskill at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff on May 11, live on Sky Sports.
Price has stepped up to world class in just her seventh professional bout as she takes on McCaskill, who is a former undisputed world welterweight champion, for the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine World welterweight titles.
The Olympic gold medallist (6-0, 1 KO), who outclassed Silvia Bortot in a December points win, will aim to become Wales' first women's world champion.
"I'm over the moon for this fight to finally be getting announced," said Price. "I know Ben Shalom and my team have been working very hard behind the scenes to make this happen so I just want to say a big thank you to them.
"Jessica McCaskill is the current champion. She's game, experienced and strong but I'll be 100 per cent ready for whatever she brings on the night. I believe in my ability.
"I back myself and like I said earlier, I can't wait to bring those world titles back home to Wales, and hopefully this will line me up to bring more massive nights back to Wales in the near future."
McCaskill, from Chicago, Illinois, is a two-weight world champion, who unified the WBA and WBC super lightweight titles before moving up in weight to end Cecilia Brækhus’ decade long reign at the top of the welterweight division.
Toppling Braekhus with back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022, McCaskill became undisputed champion at 147lbs, a weight class where she remains undefeated.
McCaskill has previously challenged Katie Taylor for the WBA super lightweight title in 2017 and Chantelle Cameron for the undisputed super lightweight titles in 2022. Most recently, McCaskill fought to a draw with Britain’s Sandy Ryan in a fiercely contested welterweight unification clash.
"I don't know much about Price but when it comes to fighters from the UK the expectation is usually lots of backpedalling and holding," said McCaskill.
"Price is hopefully going to want to put on a good show. That's exactly what I want because I plan on doing the same. I'm here to steal all of her fans.
"I'm going to show her what it takes to be a champion and the belts will be coming back to America with me."
Analysis from Sky Sports Boxing's Johnny Nelson...
"You can look at best-case scenario and worst-case scenario. Worst-case scenario she loses but she learns a hell of a lot in her seventh professional fight and so there's no shame in that because look who she's up against.
"Best-case scenario is that she wins and she's nowhere near the finished article of who she potentially is and this style of fight suits her down to the ground.
"Some of that's physical in her face, that's there for her. It gives her more of a chance than anyone I've seen. Jessica McCaskill had that supreme boxing ability where she out-boxed her, boxing smart, and her boxing experience to outfox Lauren.
"Lauren is fighting somebody that wants to have a tear-up, somebody that's very physical, that's in your face, that's not hard to hit. So that will suit her down to the ground.
"This will all be about Lauren and Lauren lifting herself mentally as well. We know she's a good fighter, we just don't know how good a fighter she actually is, so I don't think on an official level if she loses it'll break her heart but it's not the end of her.
"If she wins then the world's her oyster."
