It didn’t take long for Lauren Price to turn to what she hopes is next for her in boxing after she beat Stephanie Pineiro Aquino on Saturday, April 4, atop a Boxxer event in Cardiff, Wales, on BBC 2 in Britain.
Victory advanced Price’s pro record to 10-0 (2 KOs), retaining her WBC, WBA, IBF, and The Ring magazine welterweight world titles, and securing, for her, one of her most meaningful victories, alongside her 10-round decision win over Natasha Jonas, last year, and the technical decision over Jessica McCaskill the year prior.
Now, she’s turning her attention to pound-for-pound staple, Claressa Shields, who was ringside for her fight.
“This girl is one of the best in the game,” said Price, on Shields, per Ring Magazine. “I want to fight the best. I respect her. We all need a dance partner, but I back myself.”
A punch from Aquino opened a cut within Price’s mouth early in the fight but, regardless, Price stuck to her gameplan and ground out a clean win on the scorecards — something that seemed to impress Shields, when she reacted to the performance, and result, post-fight.
“She fought through adversity,” said Shields.
“If you want to come up to 160, me and you can make it happen … we can fight at the end of the year.”
Watch their dramatic face-off right here:
Promoter Ben Shalom appeared keen to make it happen. The only way to become the woman, for him, is to beat the woman.
“It’s only a matter of time,” Shalom said. “To be the best fighter you have to box the No. 1 fighter in the world.”
Elsewhre on Boxxer’s card, Rhys Edwards and Gully Powar fought to a 12-round draw for the British featherweight title and Teo Alin finished Kane Shepherd in the fifth round.
Boxxer fighters are next in action on the Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov fight card April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on Netflix, with Jeamie TKV and Richard Riakporhe clashing for the British heavyweight title, and Frazier Clarke returning to the ring with a fight against Justis Huni. Elsewhere, Conor Benn takes on Regis Prograis at welterweight.
