Lauren Price is back in action in Paris on March 11 live on Sky Sports; the last time she boxed in the French capital she won a crucial battle with huge Russian puncher Zemfira Magomedalieva that set Price on the path towards her Olympic gold medal triumph
Friday 3 March 2023 12:52, UK
The last time Lauren Price boxed in Paris she faced her most intimidating opponent yet.
The Welsh star boxes in the French capital on March 11, live on Sky Sports, returning to the site of one of her most important victories, one that set her on course to eventually win the Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games.
Russia's gigantic Zemfira Magomedalieva was charging across the ring at her, scarcely worrying about technical boxing and looking almost exclusively to blast through Price with knockout blows in that contest.
It was the final of the European Olympic qualification event in 2021. Magomedalieva was the world champion in the weight class above and had come down from light-heavyweight. She towered over Price, who in contrast was a small middleweight having moved up from welter.
After both had won their semi-finals the previous day, the Russian stayed in the warm-up room, smashing pads with her trainer. Price didn't just see it, she heard it echoing round the hall.
"She was proper banging the pads," Price told Sky Sports. "She was looking at me and laughing and I was thinking, 'Bloody hell, she can bang.'"
The message was clear. Magomedalieva was one of, if not the, hardest puncher in the division.
But Price does not get rattled. Then she was already the European Games and World Championship middleweight gold medallist. The Welshwoman would win gold at the Olympic Games later that summer.
While she might not have been as big as Magomedalieva, Price knew she was better. So she used her attributes. She moved, putting her speed, footwork and her skill to work, popping the Russian with flush, accurate punches even as Magomedalieva stormed after her.
"Because she couldn't pin me down, she's running at me towards the end. She got bronze as well in Tokyo [at the Olympics]," Price recalled. "I don't think she was even in her stance half the time, she was just coming for me."
Price won the bout well. That battle concluded a high-pressure tournament in France. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic this was their only Olympic qualification tournament. Price's partner and GB team-mate Karriss Artingstall had needed to come through a last-ditch box-off to win her place at the Tokyo Games.
"With Karriss, it was very nerve-wracking. She was last to go out of the team. That made it more nerve-wracking because everyone had qualified and she was the last," Price said.
"We'd trained hard and we knew deep down how good we were and nothing was going to stop us booking our ticket to go to Tokyo. It worked out well in the end."
Artingstall also won an Olympic medal, taking featherweight bronze. Though the couple fought together on the Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall undercard in October, that was an exceptional occasion. Generally it's to stressful for them both to be on the same bill.
Artingstall will return to action on March 25 in Manchester, live on Sky Sports.
Price is boxing Naomi Mannes, who has only lost once as a professional in a European welterweight title challenge. They fight at Zenith de Paris on March 11.
The Olympic champion won her last bout by stoppage and is looking to take that form into her next fight.
"Karriss says I'm 1-0 up," she laughed. "In my head I go in there, I don't think about getting a stoppage, if it comes it comes.
"I've always been known for my technical ability I suppose. I've got fast hands, fast feet and stuff like that. But I suppose that's the difference with the pro game, it's about putting bums on seats and being a bit more exciting.
"That's what I intend to do - add to my game, stay there a little bit longer, just be a bit smarter."
Now in her natural weight class, Price is training with bad intentions herself.
She promises: "If I can match my skill and obviously add the knockouts and the power side to it, I want to be an all-rounder and put on a show."
Lauren Price fights Naomi Mannes on March 11 live on Sky Sports. Watch Sky Sports via NOW
