Lauren Price is close to securing a two-fight deal to face undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields, promoter Ben Shalom has told ESPN.
Price (10-0, 2 KOs) defended her unified welterweight titles on April 4 with a points win over Stephanie Pineiro before she faced off with Shields (18-0, 3 KOs), who was watching ringside in Cardiff, Wales.
Shields is one of the biggest stars in women’s boxing. She is ESPN’s No. 1 women’s pound-for-pound fighter, has won titles in five weight classes and claimed gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
Lauren Price (R) is in talks to fight Claressa Shields at middleweight. Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images
Price, who is No. 8 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound list, is also an Olympic gold medallist and has had a fast rise since turning professional in 2022.
Shalom told ESPN a deal for Price to face Shields over two fights at the 160-pounds middleweight limit is in the works.
“Very close. [It’s the] biggest fight in women’s boxing,” Shalom said.
“A two-fight deal, one in the U.S., one in the U.K. The broadcasters haven’t been decided, it’s a major fight and there will be a lot of different broadcasters involved I imagine. But first and foremost the fight looks on.”
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Shalom’s Boxxer have a broadcast deal with the BBC in the U.K. while Shields is signed with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records.
Price has never fought at middleweight as a professional, but did so as an amateur, while Shields has had several fights and won world titles in the division.
Price is expected to fight in August at 154lbs before facing Shields at 160lbs at the end of the year.
Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita, agreed with Shalom that the fight would be huge and have a big impact on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Claressa vs. Price is the biggest fight in women’s boxing, a true legacy-defining event between two Olympic gold medalists and current world champions representing the U.S. and the U.K., two countries with the deepest traditions in the sport,” Salita told ESPN.
“When the best from both sides meet, it creates something special, not just in the ring, but globally. This is a fight that can elevate boxing and women’s boxing as a whole.
“For Claressa, it’s also part of a bigger purpose. She has consistently used boxing as a platform to push for equality — in pay, exposure, recognition, and respect. That’s why, from the very beginning of her career, she has sought out the best challengers from around the world.”