LONDON – Lauren Price recognises that on Friday she fights one of the trailblazers for women’s boxing.

Wales’ Price and Natasha Jonas are to contest the WBA, WBC and IBF welterweight titles on the eve of International Women’s Day, at London’s celebrated Royal Albert Hall.

They headline an all-female promotion that also features the WBC lightweight title fight between the champion Caroline Dubois and South Korea’s Bo Mi Re Shin, and the professional debut of the Britain-based, Cameroon-born middleweight Cindy Ngamba, who won a bronze medal for the Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024.

The 30-year-old Price won gold at Tokyo 2020, in an era in which it has become possible to take for granted the progress still being made by her profession. Just two Games earlier at London 2012, Jonas had become Britain’s first female boxer at an Olympics, by extension enhancing the opportunities available to Price and others who have followed her – and ensuring that in a fight that will prove defining in both of their careers Price will be walking to the ring while, in more ways than one, full of respect.

“I had a dream to go to the Olympics, from the age of eight, and the likes of herself, Nicola Adams – that crop – Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Savannah Marshall… they were the ones who were the first to compete at London 2012 for female boxing,” Price, the WBA champion, told BoxingScene. “That was my switchover point then, to go to a boxing gym, because it was my dream from the age of eight.

“I didn’t know what sport I was gonna do; I was playing football; I was kickboxing. I’ve always admired her in that way. She’s 11 years older than me, but I respect her and she’s a great role model.

“She’s a good fighter. I tip me hat off to her; I respect her and what she’s done. Not just for women’s boxing, but boxing in general. But I just believe that where I am right now, in my career in general, it’s a fight that I win.

“I look at it as they were the first – even doing it on International Women’s Day, how far boxing’s come. I’m proud to be part of that, and they are too. Generations, when you look back years ago, even to get women to lace up gloves and get in the ring, you’ve got to respect them. Where it is now, it’s come on massive.”

It was tempting, when Price defeated Bexcy Mateus of Colombia on the same promotion in December on which the 41-year-old Jonas defeated Croatia’s Ivana Habazin, to conclude that their promoters Boxxer saw the value of sacrificing Jonas’ profile in their pursuit of enhancing that of Price.

Price’s youth, by comparison, potentially gives her greater value to Boxxer’s Ben Shalom and their broadcaster Sky Sports, and yet it is Jonas who has been used as a pundit by the broadcaster, and Jonas whose name and image appeared above Price on the marketing material related to Friday night.

“I’m not one for this – whether you walk first, walk second – it don’t matter,” Price said. “The best will come out on the night when that bell goes, regardless of who’s at the top of the poster; the bottom of the poster.

“There’s nothing personal there. It’s a fight I’ve wanted for a while because I won world titles in May [when defeating Jessica McCaskill], and it’s been hard to get fights. When I turned over as a champion I wanted to move fast. I believe how good I am; Rob [McCracken, my trainer] believes how good I am. But to the public and to certain people, ‘It’s too soon; it’s too early’, but I’ve proved that already with the [Jessica] McCaskill fight – one of the best in the division. I come through, not losing a round, and I just think it’s the right timing. 

“Do I think I’m the finished article? No. You never stop learning in this game. But, one thing that I do believe is in myself, and this fight – Natasha is my toughest test. She brings another level up to me, but one that I believe I come through with flying colours. I also believe, right now, I’m the best at 147.

“We’ve been respectful. But I don’t know her to the extreme of ins and outs. I played football against her sister, Nikita Parris, Wales v England, when I was 17, 18, with the under-19s.

“Are you at your peak at 41 [Jonas is 40]? Am I at my peak? Potentially. I think so.”

There regardless exists the reality that, not unlike when the less experienced Galal Yafai was matched with Sunny Edwards in November and ultimately recorded his finest victory, Rob McCracken, the trainer of Price and Yafai, guided Jonas to the 2012 Games.

Hindsight demonstrates that McCracken, perhaps largely because he had previously worked with Edwards, detected that the time had come to match Yafai more aggressively, and when asked if the circumstances surrounding Friday’s fight were similar, Price responded: “He knows her. He’s been on the [Olympics] programme. When was that – 2012? She’s changed. But he knows the game and I trust him and he’s a great guy, and he picks my fights. He believes I come out on top.

“She’s good. But, I’m better. She’s got a good jab. She works well to the body. She’s a good fighter. But I believe I’m better in all areas. We’re both southpaw – I don’t really read too much into that. As the fight goes, we’ll adapt. 

“She goes back in straight lines. She works in bursts – I don’t know whether that’s because she’s older. I believe I’ll have a higher work-rate. I also think that when she does open up, she’s got gaps, which I can capitalise on.”