Lauren Price W9 Jessica McCaskill... Fighting in her home country, Lauren Price was crowned the new world welterweight champion after outpointing Jessica McCaskill by a ninth-round stoppage on Saturday at the Cardiff International arena in Wales. Price won the WBA and IBO belts, but also the true lineal championship as she defeated McCaskill who defeated the previous world champion, Cecilia Braekhus. McCaskill had owned the crown since August 2020 and this was her fifth defense.  McCaskill, from Chicago, used an aggressive style, but advtanges in time, distance and accuracy favored Price. 

 

There was a hard head butt during the fourth round that resulted in a pronounced swelling over McCaskiil's left eyelid. That accidental injury grew over the rounds until after the medical review in the ninth round when referee Michael Alexander announced the end of the action. The scorecards were consulted and a unanimous technical decision was awarded to Price, with all three tallies reading 90-82 in her favor. 

 

Price won gold medals in 2019 at the World and European Games, and then gold in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics. By June 2022, she made the leap to the pro game and is now 7-0 with 1 KO. McCaskill fall to 12-4-1 with 5 KOs. The other welterweight title holders are Natasha Jonas (IBF), Ivana Habazin (WBC) and Sandy Ryan (WBO).