Lauren Price comes through battle to retain welterweight world titles and calls out Claressa Shields: 'Let's go!'

Lauren Price defended her unified welterweight world championships against Stephanie Pineiro Aquino in Cardiff.

Price, an Olympic gold medallist, retained her WBA, IBF and WBC titles by unanimous decision but had to come through a hard battle with Pineiro to take that victory.

With Price marked up and bloodied, she took a decision, 98-92 on two cards and 99-91 on one and then found herself promptly facing off with Claressa Shields.

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Shields is an Olympic gold medallist like Price and a multi-weight undisputed champion as a professional.

The American star is the current undisputed heavyweight champion in women's boxing but is willing to move down in weight to fight Price.

"If you want to come up to 160lbs, me and you can make it happen," Shields told Price.

"I've got one more fight, then we can fight at the end of the year."

Price replied: "We both need dance partners, we've both got Olympic gold medals, let's do it!

"I want to fight the best."

In Cardiff Price was boxing for the first time since defeating Natasha Jonas at the Royal Albert Hall more than a year ago when she became a three-belt champion.

She was returning to Cardiff for the first time since winning her first world title there in 2024 and Price received a rapturous welcome when she made her entrance.

Meeting a fellow southpaw in Pineiro, Price came out on the balls of her feet, jabbing quickly. But Pineiro heaved her right hook into her, catching her out with that strike.

It was a competitive opening round and Pineiro had managed to hit home with isolated but eye-catching shots.

In the second round Price lined up and planted a long southpaw left. Price's lead hook whipped over and the champion began to land in combination. Pineiro continued to plough forward but Price reeled off quick punches as the Puerto Rican stepped in close.

Pineiro forced in a stern right and the two exchanged furiously. Price spun off behind her right hook. Price launched some big hits just at the end of the third round, to reassert her authority.

That hurt the Puerto Rican, but Pineiro still fired back in the fourth round. She stormed after Price in the next round too and left blood pouring from Price's mouth.

To compound Price's problems a cut opened over her right eyebrow. Bloodied, bruised, Price needed to retore her composure.

The champion threw potshots and finished the seventh round with another burst of punches.

Her work was classy and sharp in the eighth round. Price brought her footwork to bear, leaving Pineiro trailing after her and falling short.

But Pineiro was undeterred. She continued to threaten. A pinpoint right hook from Price landed through a Pineiro attack. The Puerto Rican has a long reach and still managed to prod her lead right into the champion.

In the last round Price circled and picked moments when to throw, firing her southpaw left into Pineiro for two solid scores before the final bell.

"I took a head clash and I felt my lip go straightaway but, do you know what, that's something I haven't experienced and it's part of pro boxing," Price told the BBC.

"I think I dug deep and stuck in there. I've got a great corner behind me. I just want to say respect to my opponent. It was a fight that I had to take to keep my belts. Obviously I haven't been in the ring for a year so tough coming into this fight but credit to my opponent. She was a tough girl, she tested me."

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(c) Sky Sports 2026: Lauren Price comes through battle to retain welterweight world titles and calls out Claressa Shields: 'Let's go!'