'Only Lauren can match her' - Price in talks to fight Shields

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Phantom vs Price - can a Gladiator keep up with a world champion?

Unified welterweight world champion Lauren Price is in talks with Claressa Shields over a fight in 2026.

Price, 31, returns to Wales on Saturday to defend her WBA, IBF and WBC belts against challenger Stephanie Pineiro at the Utilita Arena.

The former Olympic champion, from Bargoed, is looking to maintain her perfect 10-0 record, but already has one eye on the next step in her career.

Undisputed heavyweight champion Shields is expected at ringside and Price says a bout could happen "sooner than people think".

"I want to be a multi-weight world champion and I want the biggest fights," said Price.

Price's promoter, Boxxer's Ben Shalom, confirmed that talks are under way between the two camps for a contest at middleweight, at which Price fought as an amateur and at which Shields has previously been world champion in the pro ranks.

"We don't believe the weight difference will stop that fight," said Shalom.

"Lauren wants Claressa Shields. She wants the biggest name in women's boxing and Claressa is that. That's why we want to make it.

"We believe Lauren is the best female on the planet. I believe she is the only fighter that could come close to Claressa."

Price's dominance is such that she has barely lost a round in any of her wins.

But to be considered among the best female boxers of all time, she will have to prove it against someone of the calibre of 18-0 Shields - who has held 15 world title belts across five weight divisions.

With arenas such as the Cardiff City Stadium and Principality Stadium mentioned as potential future venues for Price fights, an eye-catching rivalry which captivates a worldwide audience would take her career to new heights.

"Every big sport needs a big rivalry," added Shalom.

"In tennis we had [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal, we had it in Formula 1 with [Lewis] Hamilton and [Max] Verstappen and we've had it in boxing plenty of times with [Tyson] Fury and [Oleksandr] Usyk.

"Women's boxing needs this. Claressa has never had a female on her level and that can be Lauren Price.

"That will the future rivalry in women's boxing which can propel the sport beyond what it already is."

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What the life of a world champion is really like

The more traditional path for Price's next fight would have been an undisputed welterweight title fight with WBO champion Mikaela Mayer.

A bout between the two would unify the division, but asked if that fight could be made, Price said "Mayer doesn't want to fight me".

Those views were not shared by Mayer, 35, who told BBC Sport Wales that a fight between the pair was scheduled for last summer before Price's team pulled out.

"Since I won the world title at welterweight I've always talked about unifying, I've always put her [Price] in the handful of names that I want to fight - she knows that," said Mayer.

"Whatever she didn't like about it, she decided against it. So she fumbled that and then we've tried to make that happen since.

"So I've been sitting here waiting. I'm still ready. I'm still waiting."

Mayer was pessimistic about the Shields fight happening, pointing to the weight as an issue.

Shalom said a future unification fight with Mayer is "there if she wants it", but supported Price's views that the American is "avoiding" the fight.

Price ready for the 'kitchen sink' on Saturday

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Stephanie Pineiro is promising a "surprise" against Price

For now, Price must be fully focused on Saturday's title defence against Pineiro.

The 35-year-old is undefeated as a professional, with 10 wins under her belt - all in her home country of Puerto Rico.

Pineiro's camp have been adamant she will shock the Cardiff crowd.

"She's strong, she's tough. She's going to throw the kitchen sink at me from round one," Price said.

"I do believe that I'm a level above. I think I've boxed better opposition than her before, but it's all about Saturday night.

"I just want to go and put on a good performance in front of the fans."

Pineiro cut a relaxed figure in front of the media.

And the 5ft 9in southpaw said she is ready to draw on the experience of being the pantomime villain.

"I'm excited, I want to hear the boos - that will be energy for me," Pineiro said.

Although a mouth-watering fight with Shields may lie in weight, Shalom was quick to warn of Pineiro's threat.

"Lauren has to prove herself against Pineiro - who is a phenomenal fighter," said Shalom.

"It's hard to look past that, but what lies beyond it is possibly one of the biggest fights in women's boxing."