Boxing Results: Lauren Price Becomes First Welsh Female World Champion in Cardiff!

In the worst and worst to watch, Lauren Price will defeat American champion Jessica McCaskill to become the first Welsh female champion; taking his IBO, WBA and The Ring Magazine titles.

The fight was stopped early on the 9th, due to the advice of ringside doctors; McCaskill’s eye was so swollen that the Chicago native was unable to continue, despite his protests.

The swelling itself came in the form of headbutts, although the fight was unorganized, especially from McCaskill, who – at the beginning of the crisis – was swinging wild hooks, many of which connected the two fighters to the ropes. This was a common occurrence during the fight, as well as Price’s punch to the back of McCaskill’s head, which happened more than once in the clinic – even when the referee was separating them, or giving instructions.

It’s not that Price’s performance was bad – it was exemplary, but it was clear that both fighters wanted something more powerful than anything skilled. A display of improved footwork, and clever, sharp punching did – however – win a number of cards, not that they were needed. They read 90-82, 90-82, 90-82, giving McCaskill a slight edge on points.

The Caerphilly resident can now go home with his head held high, however, having reached the top of many sporting disciplines.

Elsewhere on the card, 18-0 super middleweight Mark Jeffers caused a stir with a fifth-round TKO of young contender Darren Johnstone (8-1), with a right hand that sent Johnstone crashing to the canvas for a while. Bravely, Johnstone returned to his seat, where the fight ended.

The return of Hughie Fury (28-3) continued with a calm, almost anti-climactic stop over Patrick Korte (21-4-1), the German boxer who is still very much on the national level. Some weak shots and decent shooting thwarted the German in his efforts. Hopefully, with two confidence boosts under his belt, Fury can feel more comfortable performing at the highest level, going forward.

Featherweight belt and belt on the line hit Cardiff again, as undefeated Rhys Edwards (16-0) defeated Thomas Patrick Ward (34-2-1) who holds the WBA Inter-Continental Featherweight belt. Ward entered the belt with more time between the two, while Edwards was able to let his hands – and upper reach – go without fear of being blocked by Ward, who now has just five to his name.

It was a very good fight, with Ward showing technical prowess, but he was too slow for the Penygraig-born Edwards. The Welshman would take a unanimous decision victory, despite how hard Ward fought.

In the end, the spotlight was reserved for the incredible Welsh fighters, who gave it their all in front of their home crowd, defending their belts and glory in the process.