Lauren Price enters talks to fight Claressa Shields in middleweight bout
Unified welterweight world champion Lauren Price is in active negotiations to fight undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields in a blockbuster middleweight clash targeted for 2026.
The 31-year-old Welsh fighter currently holds the WBA, IBF, and WBC titles and will defend them against Stephanie Pineiro at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff this Saturday.
The former Olympic gold medallist boasts a perfect 10-0 professional record but is already planning a monumental move up in weight to secure her legacy.
Undefeated American star Shields, who has captured 15 world titles across five different weight divisions, is expected to be ringside for this weekend’s mandatory title defence.
Middleweight ambitions and historic rivalry
Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom has confirmed that initial discussions are under way between the two camps to stage the contest at middleweight.
The Bargoed native previously competed at that 160lb limit during her highly successful amateur career, while her prospective opponent has also held professional world titles in the same division.
“We don’t believe the weight difference will stop that fight,” Shalom stated.
“Lauren wants Claressa Shields, she wants the biggest name in women’s boxing and Claressa is that.”
Seeking undisputed glory and stadium nights
Establishing a captivating worldwide rivalry against the 18-0 global icon could pave the way for massive stadium events at venues like the Cardiff City Stadium or Principality Stadium.
Shalom drew parallels with legendary sporting duals, suggesting that a generational clash is exactly what women’s boxing needs to propel the sport to unprecedented heights.
“I believe she is the only fighter that could come close to Claressa.”
An alternative route for the defending champion would be an undisputed welterweight unification bout against reigning WBO titleholder Mikaela Mayer.
Disputes over welterweight unification
While unifying the 147lb division remains a logical step, the Welsh standout has claimed that her American rival is deliberately avoiding the matchup.
“Mayer doesn’t want to fight me.”
However, the 35-year-old WBO champion strongly refuted those allegations, insisting that a summer unification clash had been scheduled before the opposing camp withdrew.
“Since I won the world title at welterweight I’ve always talked about unifying, I’ve always put her in the handful of names that I want to fight,” Mayer told BBC Sport Wales.
