Nick ParkinsonMar 5, 2026, 04:33 PM

CloseReports on boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for over 25 years.

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Lauren Price insists she has been offered Claressa Shields (left) and Katie Taylor (right). Getty

World welterweight champion Lauren Price says she has been offered fights against the biggest names in women’s boxing — Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor — for later this year.

Although a clash with Mikaela Meyer to crown an undisputed champion at welterweight seems the logical next fight should Price (9-0, 2 KOs) successfully defend her WBC, WBA and IBF belts vs. Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Piñeiro (10-0, 3 KOs) at the Cardiff International Arena on April 4, the Welshwoman claims she has also been offered fights vs. Shields, Taylor and Alycia Baumgardner.

Price, 31, would step up to middleweight to take on American Shields (18-0, 3 KOs), the pound-for-pound women’s No. 1 who is the undisputed world heavyweight champion and has won world titles in a remarkable five weight classes.

Price, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2021, also says it would be an honour to face Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs), potentially at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, this summer in what the Irishwoman says could be her last fight after an outstanding amateur and professional career.

Taylor, 39, has reigned as undisputed lightweight champion and currently holds three junior welterweight titles.

Unified junior lightweight champion Baumgardner (17-1, 7 KOs), 31, and fellow American Mayer (22-2, 5 KOs), 35, who holds the WBO world welterweight title as well as the WBA and WBC junior middleweight titles are other potential opponents for later this year, Price says.

“I want to put on a performance in this next fight and then get out again in the summer whether it be against Mayer, Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields or Alycia Baumgardner,” Price told ESPN.

“Both me and Mayer want the fight, but I think it’s hard because the money is crazy. I’m getting names offered to me like Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields and the money is four or five times more than to fight Mikaela Mayer, even though it would be for an undisputed title fight [vs. Mayer].

“Mayer wants a good pay day but the money I was being offered to go to America was a joke, it was less than I got for fights last year [vs. Natasha Jonas] and the year before that [vs. Jessica McCaskill].

“I think the fight with Mayer will happen, but I don’t know when. We both want to do it but at the minute it’s out of our hands because I’m not happy with what I’m being offered.

“The conversations with Claressa Shields have already started, it has to happen because it’s a massive fight. With Katie Taylor saying one more fight and she’s done, it would be an honour to share the ring with her as well.

“Claressa will have to step out down to face me and I will have to step up, so I will weigh less than her on the night.

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“I remember seeing her when I had just started out at the World Championships in China in 2012 and she won the world amateur title and won the Olympic gold medal later that year. What she has done for women’s boxing has been great and I’ve looked up to her over the years. I want to do something like she has done with the Irish fans with my Welsh fans. She deserves her farewell fight at Croke Park and if she needs a dance partner I would be willing.

“Both Katie and Claressa are Olympic gold medallists like me, and I think it would be great to have two Olympic gold medallists in the ring.”

Price has not boxed since she beat Natasha Jonas on points just over a year ago to unify the titles and is looking forward to fighting back in front of a home crowd on April 4.

“The last time I fought back at home versus Jessica McCaskill [in May 2024] was one of the best nights of my life,” Price told ESPN.

“I’m so honoured to have such a great fan base and with this fight ticket sales have just been smashed out of the park.”