Lauren Price Successfully Defends Titles and Issues Challenge to Claressa Shields

Lauren Price successfully defended her unified welterweight world championships against Stephanie Pineiro Aquino in a fiercely contested battle in Cardiff. Price, an Olympic gold medalist, retained her WBA, IBF, and WBC titles via unanimous decision, despite being marked up and bloodied during the fight. Following her victory, Price was promptly confronted by Claressa Shields, a fellow Olympic gold medalist and multi-weight undisputed champion. Shields expressed her willingness to move down in weight to fight Price, stating, 'If you want to come up to 160lbs, me and you can make it happen.' Price responded enthusiastically, saying, 'We both need dance partners, we've both got Olympic gold medals, let's do it! I want to fight the best.' The highly anticipated potential matchup between Price and Shields has been set in motion. In her first fight since defeating Natasha Jonas over a year ago, Price returned to Cardiff, where she initially won her first world title in 2024, and received a warm welcome from the crowd. Throughout the fight, Price employed her quick jab and sharp footwork to outmaneuver Pineiro, landing several significant combinations and asserting her dominance. Despite Pineiro's relentless pressure and ability to land isolated shots, Price's classy and sharp performance secured her victory. In the post-fight interview, Price acknowledged the challenges she faced, stating, 'I took a head clash and I felt my lip go straightaway, but that's something I haven't experienced, and it's part of pro boxing.' Price expressed her respect for her opponent and credited her corner for their support, saying, 'I think I dug deep and stuck in there. I've got a great corner behind me.'