Lauren Price completed her rapid ascent to the top of the welterweight division with a technical decision victory over WBA and Ring Magazine champion Jessica McCaskill.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Price (7-0, 1 KO) was boxing for just the seventh time as a professional but was a class apart against the one-time undisputed champ McCaskill (12-4-1, 5 KOs) from the first bell.
For all the flashes of Price’s quicksilver footwork and fast hands, the boisterous crowd in attendance at the Cardiff International Arena were forced to endure a scrappy contest that tested the patience of referee Michael Alexander.
From McCaskill’s customary charging in with the head to Price’s holding and grappling in response, it was a busy night for the official. One of the American’s rudimentary forays in round brought a clash of heads, and McCaskill’s left eye rapidly became badly swollen.
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Price continued to bank rounds, with McCaskill suffering more of the same struggles she endured against the similarly technically accomplished Chantelle Cameron and Sandy Ryan.
A second check from the ringside doctor at the start of round nine brought the end. Price was awarded a shutout of 90-82 on all three cards as…
