THE RESULT: After eight completed rounds, Lauren Price outclassed Jessica McCaskill to win the WBA Welterweight title by technical decision at the Cardiff International Arena, Wales. Having sustained a cut earlier in the fight due to an accidental clash of heads, the injury worsened. On the advice of the ringside physician, the contest was waved off by the man in the middle, Michael Alexander. All three judges scored the bout 90-82.
KEY MOMENTS: In the final seconds of the opening rounds Price finished stronger and produced the cleaner work. This snowballed in her favour and improved her accuracy as the rounds wore on enabling her to find the target more often than not.
RECORDS: Price is yet to reach 10 fights but for the time being the new world champion sits at 7-0 (1 KO). Veteran McCaskill leaves Wales with a record of 12-4-1 (5 KOs).
TALKING POINT: The maturity and composure from Price. On such a big night in front of her own supporters, you would have forgiven her for a few moments of crisis, but her pedigree and ability allowed her to settle into the fight. And the new champion would not be intimidated by McCaskill, who didn’t have the tricks up her sleeve to get close to winning.
QUOTABLE: “I’m speechless,” a slightly emotional Price told Sky Sports. “The atmosphere in here tonight… it gotta be up there with winning that [Olympic] Gold Medal. I can’t thank everyone enough who came out and supported me.
“I am aware that tonight’s fight was challenging for me. I want to acknowledge and give credit to my opponent, Jessica. I hold a great amount of respect for her and appreciate the way she has conducted herself with me. She is a true testament to the strength of women’s boxing and the sport as a whole.”
I am convinced that this is merely the beginning. My aspiration is to establish a lasting legacy. I am determined to forge ahead and achieve extraordinary feats.
When talking about the fight, Price expressed, “I am familiar with Jessica’s strategy. She thrives in intense battles, always seeking a fight. She relentlessly attacked me from the very first round. However, I found pleasure in the midst of it. I am confident that I will continue to improve in the future.”
Price, aspiring to achieve for Wales what Katie Taylor has accomplished for Ireland, shared her ultimate aspiration. “In the upcoming years, my greatest dream is to fill the Principality Stadium [in Cardiff] with a sold-out crowd.”
McCaskill expressed her appreciation for the Welsh supporters but desired to have the chance to keep fighting. “I believe the champion should be allowed to fight until the end. Give me my full four minutes, allow me to go the distance, not just for myself but because that’s what boxing deserves. Let me go for 10 rounds, and whether it’s against Lauren or someone else, so be it.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Price will want to win more titles and will likely look for unification bouts in her bid to become undisputed at 147lbs.
SUPPORTING CAST: In another stern test of his ambitions, featherweight Rhys Edwards, 16-0 (4 KOs), backed up his win against Brad Foster in November to beat the vastly more experienced operator, Thomas Patrick Ward, 34-2-1 (5 KOs), on points over 10 rounds with scorecards of 98-92 (twice) and 91-99 all in the Welshman’s favour.
Hughie Fury, with a record of 28 wins (16 knockouts) and 3 losses, successfully continued his career reconstruction by defeating 40-year-old German fighter Patrick Korte, who holds a record of 21 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw, with 18 of his wins coming by knockout, in just two rounds.
Mark Jeffers, the undefeated super-middleweight with a record of 18 wins and no losses (including 5 knockouts), showcased his impressive skills once again. In the fifth round, he delivered a devastating knockout blow to Darren Johnstone, who had a record of 8 wins and 1 loss (including 2 knockouts). Fortunately, Johnstone managed to regain his footing after the brutal knockout.
In a six-round match, Newport middleweight boxer Kyran Jones (10-1, 1) showcased his endurance once again by going the distance for the ninth time in 10 fights. His opponent, Lewis Howells (3-1), who had previously maintained an undefeated record, was knocked down in the opening round.
Kane Shepherd, a promising Welsh contender with a record of 5 wins and no losses, including 2 knockout victories, secured a victory in the third round against Ishmael Ellis, who had a record of 14 wins and 9 losses but had to retire from the match.
Moses Jolly, also known as “The Native,” improved his boxing skills in the heavyweight division with another victory. He outpointed Amine Boucetta, who has a record of 8 wins and 13 losses, and achieved a shutout victory with a score of 60-54 according to referee Jones.
Lewis Edmondson maintained his aspirations of going against Ben Whittaker by defeating Joel McIntyre in the first fight of an eight-round card. Referee Chris Jones declared Edmondson the winner with a score of 80-72.
