Price Overcomes A Gritty Aquino

Lauren Price successfully navigated the most difficult defense of her unified welterweight crown, seeing off Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Piñeiro Aquino to remain the  WBA, IBF, and WBC champion. 

Despite sustaining heavy facial damage, Price’s technical skills earned her a unanimous decision at the Utilita Arena with scores of 98–92, 98–92, and 99–91. Price spent the opening four rounds putting on a clinic, using lateral movement to bypass Aquino’s power. Her lead hooks were surgical, repeatedly snapping the challenger’s head back and building an early lead on the cards.

The momentum shifted in the sixth when the WBA interim champion, Aquino, successfully cornered Price. A series of heavy combinations opened a deep gash on the champion’s face, leaving her bloodied and marked. With the fight hanging in the balance, Price abandoned her “hit-and-run” strategy in the final two rounds. She stood toe-to-toe with the Puerto Rican, winning the close-quarters exchanges to ensure her titles stayed in Wales. The atmosphere reached a fever pitch during the post-fight interviews when Claressa Shields entered the ring.

Reaction

“Like I said before, when you are an Olympic champion, you are a special type of Olympic fighter. Credit to Stephanie, Lauren was in the fight of her life today. You talk online, if you want to come up to 160lb, me and you can make it happen. You did great tonight, I’ll say it to you face to face, we can fight at the end of the year,” Shields 

“I spoke to the team, I want the fight and I don’t want to wait around for ages. The girl stood in front of me is one of the best in the game. This is why I’m in the game, I want to fight the best. We all need a dance partner but I’m backing myself. I think I took a head clash and I felt my lip go straight away. It’s something I haven’t experienced before and it’s a part of pro boxing.

“I dug deep and went in there. Respect to my opponent, it’s a fight I had to take. I haven’t been in the ring in a year. Credit to my opponent, she was a tough girl, she dug deep. Thank you to all the fans. I was just using my feet, moving in and out, credit to my opponent, what a tough girl. I knew she was going to be tough. I knew I was going to be tested. Keeping my belt in Wales,” Price