Lauren Price will defend her world welterweight championship against Stephanie Pineiro Aquino on Saturday, April 4th at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff. This event, presented by Boxxer, will be broadcast live and free-to-air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Also an Olympic champion, Price (9-0, 2 KOs) can already stake her claim as one of Wales’ most decorated athletes of all time having excelled not only in boxing, but also kickboxing and football.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics she became the first boxer from Wales and only the second ever female from Great Britain to win a gold medal, and as a professional Price became Wales’ first ever female world champion when defeating former undisputed champion Jessica McCaskill. Most recently, the 31 year-old Price triumphed over Natasha Jonas in a landmark bout at the Royal Albert Hall to unify the lineal championship plus three of the four major belts. Price has since been calling for a fight with WBO ruler Mikaela Mayer.
Before Price-Mayer is possible, Price must first overcome her mandatory challenger Stephanie Pineiro Aquino (10-0, 3 KOs). Aquino is the reigning WBA interim welterweight titlist. Known as ‘The Medicine’, Aquino has been tipped as the latest boxing star from Puerto Rico following in the footsteps of famous fighting sisters Amanda and Cindy Serrano. Aquino can expect a lively reception in Cardiff as Price fights at home in Wales for the first time since her historic win over McCaskill in 2024.
Lauren Price MBE said: “Defending my world titles at home in Wales means everything to me. I want to repay the support everyone has shown me with another great performance. I never turn down a challenge. Stephanie Pineiro Aquino is a dangerous fighter, but nothing is going to stop me from getting my hand raised on April 4 in Cardiff. Yma o hyd.”
Stephanie Pineiro Aquino said: “I respect everything Lauren Price has achieved, but I have worked all my life for this moment and I am ready to show I am the best in the world. Lauren may have the home fans on her side, but I have a country behind me too. I am coming to take those belts back to Puerto Rico.”
Boxxer founder & CEO Ben Shalom said: “Lauren Price is not just a world champion, she is a Welsh sporting icon and one of the greatest athletes the country has ever produced. To bring a huge world title defence home to Cardiff for her, live on BBC Two, is something we’re incredibly proud of. This is a serious test against a top-class opponent but these are exactly the nights Lauren thrives on. April 4 will be another massive moment for her.”
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “Lauren Price has the potential to become one of biggest stars in British sport, and we are excited to showcase another landmark moment in her remarkable journey. The BBC is proud to continue its commitment to showcasing women’s boxing at the very highest level, and this is a huge moment both for Lauren and for the sport. Bringing a world title defence of this magnitude to a free-to-air, national audience on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer underlines our mission to make the very best boxing accessible to everyone.”
