Natasha Jonas v Lauren Price
Venue: Royal Albert Hall, London Date: Friday, 7 March
Coverage: Follow live text commentary from 20:00 GMT and radio coverage from 21:00 on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website & app
Natasha Jonas’ trainer called Lauren Price “bang out of order” for missing a scheduled face-off and questioned why his fighter is considered the underdog for Friday’s world title unification fight in London.
Liverpool’s Jonas, 40, is the IBF and WBC champion, while Wales’ Price, 30, holds the WBA belt.
After a slow start, Wednesday’s news conference at The Dorchester hotel in London picked up when trainer Joe Gallagher took to the microphone.
He called Price “disrespectful” for not turning up on Tuesday morning for a face-off at the fight venue.
Price and her team blamed miscommunication from organisers, but Gallagher continued to steal the show.
“The agenda and narrative with Lauren is that she is an unbelievable fighter, this Ivan Drago-type character. That’s just not the case,” he said, referencing the character from the Rocky film series.
Price rolled her eyes at Gallagher’s comments, replying: “He likes to talk.”
Asked why she will win on Friday, Price said: “Too quick, too good and too young.”
But Gallagher had the final word, retorting: “I can’t wait until after the fight when we can say ‘too old, too slow and too good’.”
I’m the best name on her record – Jonas
Toxteth-born Jonas – the first female British boxer to fight at an Olympics – has been a great servant to the sport and has helped raise the profile of women’s boxing for over a decade.
The two-weight world champion is on a terrific five-fight winning run since claiming her first world title in February 2022.
Such is Jonas’ influence on boxing that flyweight Chloe Watson – who will fight on Friday’s undercard – took up the sport after Jonas visited her school.
But there are many in the sport who consider this fight a passing of the torch.
“It’s just me versus Lauren and the best woman will win,” said Jonas.
“A win for Lauren means I’m the best name on her record, but that’s not the same for me.”
Price won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and has been almost flawless in eight pro fights, winning a world title in just her seventh.
Her fight with Jonas will headline an all-female card at London’s Royal Albert Hall the day before International Women’s Day.
Asked how she might handle any adversity in her toughest fight to date, Price said: “I’ve had a good camp and I’ve stayed cool, calm and collected. It’s about taking instruction but I believe in myself.”
The face-off passed much like the news conference had, with Jonas smiling at a stern-faced Price.
‘Audacity’ – Dubois’ fighting talk & Ngamba’s debut
Also on Friday’s card, Caroline Dubois will defend her WBC lightweight title against Bo Mi Re Shin in the chief support, while Olympic bronze medallist Cindy Ngamba makes her debut.
South Korean Bo Mi Re Shi, spoke briefly through a translator and promised to be aggressive in her world-title challenge.
“I don’t know if it’s arrogance or confidence but it’s an audacity to think she can beat me,” an impassioned Dubois, 24, said.
“I don’t know where she’s getting that from. I don’t know who’s filling her head.
“It’s audacious to think she can get in the ring and beat me.”
Cameroon-born Ngamba, 26, won a bronze medal for the Refugee Team at Paris 2024 and spoke confidently before her first pro fight.
The light-middleweight has a tricky opponent in Kirstie Bavington, who won the European welterweight title in her last bout.
“I know what I’m capable of and know my skills. I wanted to be thrown into the deep end,” Ngamba said.
