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From soccer player to warrior, Lauren Price wants to quickly rise to the top

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Lauren Price fights former undisputed champion Jessica McCaskill on Saturday in just her seventh professional fight, but says her first world title fight won’t come anytime soon.

Price (6-0, 1 KO), 29, has been rapidly moving up the professional ranks since winning a gold medal at the last Olympic Games in 2021, and she is undeterred by the task of facing McCaskill for the WBA American welterweight title at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, Wales.

This will be Price’s first time fighting in front of a Welsh crowd since becoming an amateur in 2017, and she believes her experience as both an Olympian and international footballer will aid her cope with the pressure.

“When I left the amateurs, I wanted to move quickly and I’ve been calling for massive fights since last year,” Price told ESPN. “I don’t agree with the opinion that it’s too soon for me, as long as my team believes in me, that’s what counts. I cut myself off from all the noise, good and bad.

“I know that amateur is different than professional, but in my opinion winning an Olympic gold medal is much more challenging than winning a world title. There is nothing more challenging than winning an Olympic gold medal and I think people like Vasily Lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk, say the same. Anyone who has been to the Olympics and been through them, I think would say the same.

Price, who went into the Tokyo Olympics as the favorite to win gold, believes that the experience she gained at the Olympics will aid her fight for the title.

“I’ve always had pressure on me, but if anything, I’ve picked it up through my boxing and football careers,” Price said. “Captaining Wales Under-19 football and other experiences have gotten me to where I am today.

“Fighting in Cardiff will mean the world to me. I want to create a legacy for Welsh boxing and ensure the massive boxing nights return to Cardiff. I was youthful when [Hall of Famer] Joe Calzaghe fought back and what he did for Wales was amazing. I want to follow in Joe’s footsteps by making another history by becoming the first Welsh Women’s World Champion.”

McCaskill (12-3-1, 5 KO), 39, defeated Cecilia Braekhus in back-to-back fights in 2020 and 2021 to become the undisputed welterweight champion. The Chicago boxer is also the unified junior welterweight champion, but in her last fight she drew against Englishwoman Sandy Ryan, who currently holds the WBO title. McCaskill suffered decision defeats to England’s Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron at junior welterweight in 2017 and 2022, respectively, but is undefeated at welterweight and will make her fifth title defense against Price.

Price, a southpaw who recently sparred with Cameron, expects McCaskill to try to engage her in a fight.

“You see what you get with Jessica, she’s gritty, she’s tough, she tries to tease you,” Price said. “She’s a bit rowdy and swings a lot. I don’t think her defense is great, she takes a lot of shots like Sandy, and I saw Chantelle box her.

“She’s a great fighter, this is the hardest test for me. Sometimes she will ask me questions, but I believe that I will win. If you are a better boxer, you will outperform her. She will try to drag you to a dogfight, but if you have speed and good legs, I think it will be very challenging for her.”

Price played football to a good standard with Cardiff City’s club team and was also capped twice for the senior Wales national team, making a total of 52 appearances for all age groups and senior Wales teams. However, Price has no intention of mixing the two sports like middleweight queen Claressa Shields does with boxing and MMA.

“Right now I’m just focused on boxing and that’s my main goal,” Price said. “I don’t think I’ll go back to football because I haven’t played it for a while.”

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Boxing

Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

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Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).

If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.

“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”

29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.

Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.

“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”

Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.

The next move is Badou Jack’s.

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Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years

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Floyd Mayweather 50-0

Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.

This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.

In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.

“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.

“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.

Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.

Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.

Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.

However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.

In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.

It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.

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Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios

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Manny Pacquiao vs Barrios

WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.

Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”

WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.

Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.

As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.

However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.

Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.

Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.

Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.

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