LONDON – Natasha Jonas and her trainer Joe Gallagher are being driven by the belief that she is widely expected to lose on Friday to Lauren Price.

Approaching 41 years of age Jonas, the IBF and WBC welterweight champion, will defend her titles and seek to win another from Price, the 30-year-old Olympic gold medallist and defending WBA champion, at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

From the perspective of a neutral it is tempting to conclude that their promoters Boxxer and broadcaster Sky Sports see more value in victory for the younger of the two fighters – one whose finest years are considered to be in her future.

In January 2024 Jonas recorded a career highlight when she defeated Mikaela Mayer, and it is partly for that reason that her trainer is frustrated at the perception she has become an opponent for Wales’ Price.

“The expectation of the crowning [of Price] and all that type of thing – Natasha Jonas was involved in one of the female fights of the year, which no one wants to talk about,” Gallagher told BoxingScene. “I’ve seen the awards, whether it be The Ring, Boxing News, and no one’s put Mayer v Jonas up there. Boxing News didn’t even give Jonas female fighter of the year. That’s after beating Mayer – who’s come back and beat [Sandy] Ryan – and beating [of Croatia, Ivana] Habazin. 

“I’m a bit annoyed. They’re not giving Tasha her flowers a little bit, yet you all want to prop Mayer – and Lauren beat an old, 39-year-old [Jessica] McCaskill, but we beat a prime Mikaela Mayer. 

“Tasha promised me she’d retire in 2024, yet here we are in 2025, she’s going on nearly 41, and she wants that – that desire and drive. I wanted her to retire; I’d wanted her to be a mum; go and enjoy her daughter and her Sky punditry work – but the drive and desire, she wants to [fight], and more so now because of what Price and them are thinking is going to happen. 

“I think it’s too much, too soon for Lauren. I don’t think she’s got an idea of what she’s getting herself involved with. They’ve just seen Natasha at 40, they think she’s past it – [that Price is] too young, too fresh – but that’s not gonna be the case whatsoever. If you sit down and really study Lauren, you’ll be able to see things that we think we, on the night, are going to be capable of taking advantage of. We would have loved it over three minutes – 10 threes – but certain people don’t want to pay for 10 minutes’ work, so what can we do about that? There’s no overtime. 

“Natasha Jonas’ shot selection – her catalogue, or punch selection – is miles more vast than what Lauren brings to the table. I just feel Natasha’s been in big fights – granted, Lauren’s been in the Olympics – but the pro game’s a different game, and having that fight with Mayer, having them fights with Terri [Harper], Katie Taylor, that’s all in Tasha’s back pocket.

“Natasha Jonas has won all the titles with Boxxer and with Sky – she’s got a good job [as a pundit] at Sky and everything else. But I can understand from the promoter’s point of view, it can be very much like a football manager and football team – out with the old and in with the new, going forward. I get that, and I understand that, and there’s an underlying current that no one will want to talk about. That’s what we feel like. 

“It’s very much like, Eddie Hearn won’t make Katie Taylor-Caroline Dubois – Katie and Natasha are from that era. This era’s all about Sandy; Caroline; Lauren. This is for these girls to fight out. But because of the situation where we are, it’s, ‘Okay then, we’ll have to deal with Lauren Price instead of allowing Tasha to go and do the Mayer rematch or the Katie fight’. But, this is it – Tasha wants it, so I’ve got to back her 100 per cent.”

Price won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, and has credited Jonas – Britain’s first ever female boxer at an Olympics, the Games in London in 2012 – as essential in the development of women’s boxing that she has benefitted from throughout her eight-fight professional career.

If she is the favorite to win Friday’s contest, Jonas – by comparison a 19-fight veteran proven against a higher calibre of opposition than Price has so far shared the ring with – and Gallagher consider her to be relatively one-dimensional and one-paced.

“She’s won a gold medal; she’s 7-0; she’s got two belts at the moment, so she must be doing something right,” Gallagher said. “She’s got a good jab; a good, straight back hand; throws a hook after it. Now she’s started bringing into her arsenal a back hand-left hook. But she isn’t someone you’d sit down and watch. 

“Does she fight up close? No, not really. Can you remember her throwing good body punches? No, not really. Can she sit in the pocket and fight like Natasha? No, not really. She’s got good speed of feet and speed of hand. That’s where I can understand what Lauren says – too quick, too fast, too young. Yeah, I get that. But on the other side we’ve got Natasha; she’s got the seasoning; she’s got the experience; she’s got the timing; the shot selection; the calmness; the cool head.

“There’s a lot of things Natasha brings to the table. I feel more so than what Lauren does.”