Lauren Price, A True Superstar, Fights on Shields vs. Marshall Undercard

When you watch a lot of amateur boxing, you get used to watching really bad boxing, mostly. It comes with the job, I suppose, as amateur boxing is essentially a different sport, and ways to win an amateur fight might look goofy to a fan of pro-fighting. For example, look at a lot of Cuban fighters, some are great, but some also look like they're playing an adult version of tag with a competitor.

Then we have Lauren Price (1-0). 

Lukie wants everyone to pay close attention Lauren Price on Saturday as she the potential to become a star.

At only 5′ 5″ won the Olympic gold medal at women's middleweight. She is now fighting at a catchweight range of 145 lbs as a pro. Still, Price is impressive, and more impressively, I never once viewed her as undersized.

Price is a fundamentally sound boxer who boxes and moves like a kangaroo; though her family would compare her to Tigger from Winnie The Pooh, her feet explode off the floor like Mike Tyson. She had a hand signal after each win in the Olympics, a compelling backstory, and even more so – not unlike Michael Jordan taking the final shot, it wasn't a matter of if Price would win gold at the Olympics; it was simply when.

I recently talked to WBC women's heavyweight silver champion Danielle Perkins. Perkins went on the record and stated, “…Lauren Price beats Savannah Marshall, and it isn't going to a decision.”

So why am I so excited about this fighter? 

Lauren Price might be Neo in the Matrix. We're looking for a women's boxer with the power to engage fight fans but a personality to go across many media platforms. A life-long athlete, Price was a former football player. She won an international kickboxing tournament at 12 years old. Price would get 52 caps playing for Wales, and since 2019 – all she won was gold medals at every international competition in boxing.

Price might be it. Not to sound the alarms too soon, but she checks all the boxes you want for a young star in the sport, a woman entering a male-dominated sport, who is unapologetically femine, and herself. Add to the fact that her partner is fellow Olympian Karriss Artingstall, who will also be fighting on Saturday's card, and Price's story offers layers upon layers of depth.

Price will fight on the undercard of the weekend's card, despite it being a relatively unassuming bout as she is matched against an opponent who is outgunned for her skillset. Price might be someone who starts to make noise in the division sooner rather than later, as Chantelle Cameron, Katie Taylor, Sandy Ryan, and a slew of others all seem to be makeable fights for her.

Already a celebrity in the Welsh Valley, the fighter who her family compared to Tigger, the rowdy character from Winnie The Pooh, has now forged a unique and beautiful path to glory that seemingly will only get better with time.