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Lauren Price - the new face of British women’s boxing is only getting started
With the Royal Albert Hall as the backdrop, a historic British boxing moment took place on Friday night.
In the main event, a torch was passed, from one generation of fighter to the other, and now women’s boxing in Britain has a new star.
Headlining an all-female fight card, Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price clashed for the IBF, WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine welterweight titles.
It was a contest which saw two Team GB Olympians go head-to-head for the right to be at the top of the tree when it comes to who is the face of women’s boxing in the UK.
In the one corner you had Jonas, known as ‘Miss GB’. She made history at London 2012, becoming the first women’s boxer to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games.
In the other there was Price, a multi-talented athlete who won gold in Tokyo and was already amassing an impressive resume in her relatively short career.
It was a cliché phrase used throughout fight week, but Jonas versus Price was a passing of the torch moment between two trailblazers in the sport. What no one expected, however, was the one-sided nature of such a high-profile contest.
Come the opening bell, the 10-year age gap between the two was on show. Jonas struggled to contend with Price’s lightning speed throughout the contest, and as a result rarely threw anything back.
Price’s jab kept Jonas at bay who looked frozen in time. Come the second half of the fight, it was clear that a knockout would be needed if she was to inflict the first defeat of Price’s career.
Scores of 98-92, 98-93 and 100-90 in Price’s favour were a fair reflection of what transpired in the ring, and a new queen of British boxing was crowned.
James Chance/Getty Images
While what Price produced against Jonas was something to behold, she wasted no time in planning her next move, and is targeting those at the very top of the welterweight tree.
“I've been told I could possibly be boxing in August," Price told BBC Sport Wales.
"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."
While women’s boxing can often be criticised by a lack of depth, it is welcoming to hear a fighter, regardless of gender, does not bask in the glory of their biggest win to date, and instead focuses on becoming an even bigger star.
The world in her hands
Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan meet in a WBO welterweight title rematch on March 29. If Price manages to land a date with the winner of this matchup, then becoming an undisputed champion within 10 professional fights will be something to behold.
In order to become the face of boxing, men’s or women’s, you need to enjoy a rapid rise to success and dispatch those already at the top. Price is well on the way to doing that.
A fighter also needs to have an intriguing backstory, another thing that Price has. From playing football for the Wales national team to kickboxing, the 30-year-old has found her calling inside the ring.
Personality will also play a part in becoming a superstar. While Price does not give much away, the fact she embraces her Welsh roots has already sparked a following which was in full voice at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday night.
As her stardom continues to grow, there is no doubt Price's personality will too as he gains more attention and exposure with the aim of inspiring the next generation of stars for women's boxing.
But for now, her focus will firmly be on becoming an undisputed champion in quick time.
After becoming a unified world champion against Jonas, Price is THE face of women’s boxing in the UK and if she manages to clean up the women’s welterweight division, then she will be a star of women’s boxing across the world.
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