Lauren Price’s Next Big Fight: Why the Clues Point to Mikaela Mayer

Sometimes in boxing, a fighter can reveal more about their intentions than they perhaps realise.

When Lauren Price spoke recently about her plans for 2027, much of the attention understandably centred on Claressa Shields. The possibility of a meeting between two Olympic champions had generated considerable interest, particularly with Price’s ambition to bring major championship boxing to Wales.

But Price was clear. The proposed fight with Shields would not be happening next.

Negotiations had failed to produce an agreement. According to Price, the financial terms, the absence of a rematch clause and the location of the contest were among the reasons she felt unable to proceed. She was not ruling out the possibility altogether, but for now, she was looking elsewhere.

It was what she said afterwards that caught our attention.

Provided she successfully defends her world welterweight championships against Michaela Kotaskova in Cardiff on 20 November, Price expects a major contest to follow in early 2027. She described the prospect as something significant for Welsh boxing, British boxing and the sport internationally.

She did not identify her prospective opponent. But she did make one observation that we believe deserves closer examination.

Every boxer wants to hold all the belts.

On its own, that might mean very little. Fighters regularly speak about their ambitions, and Price is hardly unusual in wanting to achieve everything possible in her division. But when we consider her current position, the remark becomes rather more interesting.

Price already holds three of the four major welterweight championships. The fourth belongs to Mikaela Mayer.

And that, we believe, may tell us rather more about what lies ahead than any of the speculation surrounding the other possible opponents.

One belt remains

Price holds the WBA, WBC and IBF welterweight world championships, alongside The Ring’s divisional title. Mayer holds the WBO championship.

A contest between the two would therefore bring together all four major sanctioning-body titles at 147lb, with the winner becoming undisputed champion.

It is a straightforward sporting proposition, but one that carries considerable significance for both women.

Price has already enjoyed an outstanding career. Olympic gold in Tokyo was followed by a successful transition to the professional ranks, where she became Wales’ first female boxing world champion.

Her victory over Natasha Jonas in March 2025 added the WBC and IBF titles to the WBA championship she had previously won from Jessica McCaskill. Yet despite those achievements, the undisputed championship remains beyond her reach.

Mayer stands between Price and that distinction.

What makes the possibility particularly interesting is that this is not a contest being discussed for the first time. The two fighters have previously been linked, and negotiations have taken place.

Earlier this year, BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom spoke publicly about efforts to arrange the undisputed contest, acknowledging that previous offers had not produced an agreement while expressing renewed optimism about the possibility of a deal.

The fighters have also offered differing accounts of why earlier discussions failed. Without knowing the full details of those negotiations, it would be wrong to assign responsibility to either side.

But the important point is that there has already been genuine interest in making the fight. There is an established sporting reason for it, a history of negotiations and a championship prize that neither fighter can obtain without facing the other.

For Price, victory would mean becoming undisputed welterweight champion. For Mayer, it would mean the same.

The significance of such a contest would be clear. It would settle the question of who holds the undisputed championship in a division where both have already achieved considerable success.

Why Mayer makes sense now

Mayer’s recent defeat to Chantelle Cameron might initially appear to complicate matters.

In August, Cameron defeated the American by unanimous decision in Birmingham, taking her world championships at super-welterweight. But there is an important distinction.

That contest took place at 154lb. Mayer’s separate WBO welterweight championship, contested at 147lb, was not at stake.

She remains the holder of the very title Price needs to complete her collection.

That creates an interesting situation. Mayer has suffered a defeat at a higher weight, yet still possesses a championship that could make her one of the most important opponents in Price’s immediate future.

There is also the question of motivation. Mayer has spent much of her professional career pursuing significant championship opportunities, sometimes moving between divisions to secure them.

She won the WBO welterweight title from Sandy Ryan in September 2024 and successfully defended it in their rematch the following March.

A return to welterweight for an undisputed contest would provide a clear opportunity to add another substantial achievement to her record.

For Price, the attraction is equally obvious. She has already established herself among the leading champions in women’s boxing. Becoming undisputed would represent another important step, and one with lasting historical significance.

There is also a practical argument. Unlike some of the other contests being discussed, Price against Mayer would not require either fighter to move several divisions to accommodate the other. Both have held world championships at welterweight. Both understand the demands of the division.

The contest makes sense because of what each has achieved and what remains available to them.

That does not mean negotiations would necessarily be straightforward. Previous attempts have already demonstrated that sporting logic alone does not guarantee an agreement. But it does mean the foundations for such a contest are already in place.

Could Price have somebody else in mind?

There are alternatives, and it would be unwise to dismiss them entirely.

Chantelle Cameron is perhaps the most interesting. Her victory over Mayer has strengthened her position, and an all-British meeting with Price would undoubtedly attract attention.

Cameron is experienced, physically strong and capable of presenting a demanding challenge. Her previous victory over Katie Taylor demonstrated her ability to perform against the leading fighters in the sport.

But Cameron currently operates at super-welterweight. A contest could offer Price the opportunity to pursue championships in another division, yet it would not complete her collection at welterweight.

Alycia Baumgardner is another recognisable name, with an international profile and significant championship achievements of her own. The difficulty there is weight.

Baumgardner has established herself at super-featherweight, considerably below Price’s division. There is little in the publicly available evidence to suggest that such a contest is imminent.

Natasha Jonas, whom Price defeated in March 2025, offers the possibility of a rematch, although there is no compelling indication that this is the contest being prepared.

All are worth considering. None, however, answers the question raised by Price’s reference to holding every belt quite as convincingly as Mayer.

And while Shields remains an important part of the wider picture, Price’s comments suggest that her immediate plans lie elsewhere.

Shields’ promoter has continued to express interest in the contest, so it would be premature to suggest the possibility has disappeared altogether. For now, however, Price has indicated that it will not be her next fight.

The fight before the fight

There is, of course, one important matter still to be settled.

Michaela Kotaskova arrives in Cardiff on 20 November with her own ambitions, and Price must successfully defend her championships before any discussion of undisputed status can become more than a possibility.

Kotaskova has already shared a ring with Cameron, completing ten rounds against her earlier this year. That contest took place at super-welterweight and ended in a unanimous decision defeat, but it provided experience against an established world champion.

Price herself was given a demanding evening by Stephanie Pineiro in April, emerging with a unanimous decision after a contest in which she sustained a significant cut.

It was a reminder that championship boxing does not always follow the expected script.

It would be disrespectful to Kotaskova, and contrary to the evidence, to treat November’s result as a foregone conclusion.

But boxing has always involved planning beyond the next contest. Fighters and promoters routinely consider opportunities that depend upon a successful defence. There is nothing unusual about Price doing the same.

Where we believe the evidence leads

At Murphy Boxing Books, we are not suggesting that a Price–Mayer agreement has been signed, or that we possess information from either camp. We do not.

What we have is a series of publicly established facts.

Price has ruled out Shields as her immediate opponent. She has spoken of a major contest in early 2027. She has referred to the ambition of holding every championship belt.

Mayer holds the only major welterweight title Price does not possess. And negotiations between the two camps have already taken place.

Individually, none of those facts establishes that a future agreement has been reached. Taken together, however, they point in a convincing direction.

There is always the possibility that Price was speaking more generally about her ambitions, or that another opportunity is being developed away from public view.

We cannot know what discussions are taking place behind closed doors, and it would be wrong to suggest otherwise.

But the evidence available to us points towards Mikaela Mayer.

She holds the one major welterweight championship Price still needs, the two fighters have previously been linked, and an undisputed contest would carry precisely the sort of significance Price has been describing.

There may be other fights offering greater financial rewards or broader commercial appeal, but few would provide a clearer sporting objective.

For now, Price must concentrate on Michaela Kotaskova and her forthcoming defence in Cardiff. Nothing beyond that can be taken for granted.

Nevertheless, when we consider what Price has said, what she has already achieved and what remains available to her, Mayer appears the most logical next opponent.

Whether that proves to be the case remains to be seen.

At Murphy Boxing Books, it is where we believe the evidence presently leads.