Lauren Price vs Jessica McCaskill: Hannah Rankin previews boxing world title fight

Wales’ Lauren Price aims to win her first world title on Saturday in her backyard when she takes on Jessica McCaskill.

Cardiff’s Utilita Arena hosts their Olympic champion and in her BBC Sport column Hannah Rankin previews what it would mean for Price to dethrone the WBA welterweight champion McCaskill.

When I first met Lauren Price, what struck me was her focus. It was about six years ago at Team GB’s Olympic base in Sheffield.

She was a very serious person. Driven, focused and quietly confident, that’s how I would describe her then.

But she was talented, obviously talented. When we sparred the first time, I thought ‘she’s got something’.

She was going places, I knew that straight away.

She’s a special athlete. If she can beat Jessica McCaskill on Saturday and claim the WBA welterweight title, it will put her among those that have done great things in British boxing.

Winning gold at an Olympics is an insane achievement for anyone.

If you get through all the qualification processes, succeed over the four years of preparation and in one moment you achieve what you set out to do – that alone is an incredible feat achieved by a select few.

To then go on and win a world title? Achieving both cements your ability and cements you on the path to being one of the greats, and to represent Wales doing that will mean a lot to her.

We sparred more recently when I was preparing for Ema Kozin last November.

She’s a little bit more forthcoming and chatty these days.

I feel a definite secret weapon is the support from her partner Karriss Artingstall. When you’re doing the weight cut and hard sessions, having a partner who is going through the same thing must be invaluable.

It’s almost like an advantage. Boxing can be so lonely. I can see their relationship must be a real support to Lauren.

Sparring her is a little like sparring Claressa Shields. Skills for days, top amateur pedigree and great focus. When you see someone who is really talented, it’s all about technique and drilling.

Lauren can adapt very quickly. She might fight one style in one round and come out and fight another style in the next.

It’s the same thing you get with Claressa, there’s no messing around.

I think Price has the skillset and mindset to follow the likes of Claressa.

But this is going to be a real breakout fight for her.

There are so many more eyes on her in this fight. She is the main event.

It’s a massive opportunity for her to show her skills in front of her people and win a world title. But McCaskill is no easy task.

She beat the best, Cecilia Braekhus. To be the woman, you have to beat the woman – and McCaskill did, twice.

She’s won every title in the division. She’s not an easy fighter to deal with, very awkward.

Jessica has power in her backhand and that right hand can be kryptonite to a southpaw like Lauren.

I think Lauren loses it if she decides to have a fire fight with Jessica.

If Lauren can be drawn into a fight, that’s good for Jessica.

One of the hardest thing for me was defending my world title in Scotland in my home city, even though it’s an amazing experience.

It’s actually dealing with the crowd, your people in your home city. Even Katie Taylor struggled with it when she finally fought in Dublin.

It’s all down to Lauren keeping a cool head in Cardiff. Even the Olympic stage can’t compare to fighting for a world title at home. This is where her coach Rob McCracken comes in – he will help her to stay calm.

It’s how she harnesses that on fight night. I really think this is the moment she can break into that top level of fighters and really get Wales behind her in the pro game as well.

If Lauren can win, there are very few fighters in the world that can match her.

However, Sandy Ryan is one. She is WBO champion at the weight. Natasha Jonas is another one.

Tasha has already said this could potentially be her last year fighting so I am not sure she will want to do a fight with Lauren.

Sandy is the fight to make. Both were at GB together and Sandy improves with every fight. Another option is Chantelle Cameron. She could definitely come up to welterweight.

She’s a pressure fighter, non-stop. Lauren loves to box on the back foot on the outside and use her footwork.

It would be a case of the heavy-handed pressure fighter against the footwork and the skills of the other.

A real trio could emerge between Chantelle, Sandy and Lauren.

Sandy and Chantelle do not get on at all. That’s a fight everyone wants to see but if Lauren becomes world champion, then you can throw her into the mix.

Abd it’s always good to add a fast footed southpaw into the division to mix things up.

These are the calibre of fighters Lauren can compete with.