Lauren Price defeats Stephanie Piñeiro to pave the way for a possible matchup with Claressa Shields.
World welterweight champion Lauren Price overcame a severe mouth injury to secure a unanimous decision victory over Stephanie Piñeiro, paving the way for a potential matchup against the leading figure in women’s boxing: Claressa Shields.
Price (10-0, 2 KOs), 31, who is set to marry on May 30, faced a significant challenge with a deep cut on her gum that caused her mouth to bleed profusely for much of the bout. The Welsh fighter also sustained a cut near her right eye in the later rounds, yet she remained undeterred, earning a well-deserved decision of 98-92, 98-92, and 99-91.
The scoring appeared somewhat harsh on Piñeiro, who persistently advanced in an effort to land right-hand punches during the all-southpaw encounter.
Price, an Olympic gold medalist from 2021, defended her WBC, WBA, and IBF titles against Piñeiro (10-1, 3 KOs) with relative ease, although the injuries made this third defense far from straightforward in front of her home crowd at the Utilita Arena Cardiff in Wales.
“I took a head clash and felt my lip go straight away, but I dug deep; it was a valuable experience for me, and I had a great corner that supported me through it,” Price shared with the BBC.
“This was a fight I needed to take to retain my belts, and I commend my opponent for challenging me. I focused on my footwork, moving in and out, and utilized my boxing skills.”
Following the match, Price confronted American Shields (18-0, 3 KOs), the pound-for-pound women’s No. 1, who indicated that their meeting would need to occur at 160 pounds (middleweight).
“I want the fight and I don’t want to wait around for a long time,” Price stated.
“I aim to compete against the best, and credit to Shields, she is among the top in the world. We all need a dance partner, and I believe in my abilities.”
Price would need to move up two weight divisions to face Shields, who is the undisputed world heavyweight champion and has claimed world titles across an impressive five weight classes.
– The real MVP: How Jake Paul, Nakisa Badarian changed women’s boxing
– Sheeraz, Catterall title bouts added to Usyk-Verhoeven title card
– Pacquiao camp: Mayweather fight not an exhibition, ‘still on’
“If you want to come up to 160, we can make it happen,” Shields told the BBC.
“If she’s the best out there, all the GWOAT does is fight the best, and I’m ready to fight her, dominating her like I do with everyone else.
“I believe that a matchup between Lauren and me is one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing.
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen a two-time Olympic gold medalist face a one-time Olympic gold medalist in women’s boxing. We are both 31, undefeated, and very eager. If Lauren feels prepared, I will absolutely provide her the opportunity and demonstrate that I’m not to be underestimated.”
Price, who trains in Sheffield during the week, landed a precise left hand in the opening round, but Piñeiro also connected with some shots in a competitive start.
Price utilized more movement in the second round, but Piñeiro, 35, managed to corner her fellow southpaw to land some punches in the third round.
Price delivered a strong combination to conclude the third round and responded well in the fourth after being caught early, landing a couple of solid right hooks.
However, Piñeiro’s right hands left their mark, and Price ended Round 5 with blood streaming from her mouth.
The Puerto Rican was motivated by the sight of blood in Round 6. Price attempted to maintain her distance while Piñeiro pursued her around the ring, looking to land her powerful right hands.
Despite the mouth injury and a cut by her left eye sustained in Round 7, Price continued to deliver quick flurries of punches.
With blood dripping from her wounds, Price remained sharp in the ninth, utilizing her agile footwork to land quick punches before moving out of range.
Both fighters landed hard punches early in the final round, but Piñeiro was unable to connect with the clean shots necessary to create an upset.
Price also recently informed ESPN that she has been presented with the opportunity to fight Ireland’s Katie Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs), 39, in Dublin this summer.
Shields’ fellow American Mikaela Mayer (22-2, 5 KOs), 35, who holds the WBO world welterweight title, is another potential future opponent for Price in a bout to determine an undisputed champion at welterweight.
However, the fight with Shields is gaining traction for later this year, particularly with the American stepping into the ring to promote the matchup following Price’s victory.
