A lot has been made of Natasha Jonas’ age ahead of her March 7 fight against Lauren Price, yet neither Jonas nor Price has any interest in reading too deeply into the 10-year age difference between them.
For Jonas, the fact that she is now 40 has no bearing on either her ambition or her levels of fitness, whereas for Price, 30, it is imperative to continue downplaying the age gap in order for her to then receive the credit she wants if successful on fight night.
“Take age out of it, I just think – no, I know – I’m better in all areas,” Price, the challenger, said this afternoon at a press conference in London. “I back myself and my accolades speak for themselves. I know I’m still fresh in the pro game, and I’ve only had eight pro fights, but each fight I’ve stepped up. I will admit, yeah, Tasha is my toughest test, but I believe she brings another level of my game out and I rise again.
“I’ve always had pressure on me from the amateur days; going to the Olympics, expecting to win gold, it doesn’t get much bigger than that. But with pressure comes diamonds and I will be coming out on March 7 and taking those belts back to Wales.”
Jonas, the WBC and IBF women’s welterweight champion, is no less motivated now, in 2025, than she has been at any other stage in her career. She is motivated to not only hold on to what she has worked so hard to obtain, but also to continue breaking records and leaving her footprints on previously unchartered territory.
On March 7, for example, she and Price, 8-0 (2), will become the first women to ever headline a boxing event at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall, the thought of which thrills Jonas, 16-2-1 (9). “I love being The First,” she said this afternoon. “The first is something that nobody can take away. Headlining the Royal Albert Hall, the first time ever as females, is a big occasion. I think the fans appreciate the fight as well.
“I’ve been here before and you’ve (Price) got to be careful what you wish for. I decide when it’s time.”
As fighters, Jonas and Price will no doubt appreciate the importance of good timing, both in terms of the delivery of a punch and the choosing of an opponent. Yet, on March 7, one of the two will ultimately get their timing right and the other will get it wrong. This they have already accepted.
“I believe in myself,” said Price, “and I believe the time is now. A lot of people wrote me off against McCaskill in Cardiff on May 11 but I didn’t lose a round and was quite comfortable in there. I do believe she (Jonas) is a tougher test, like I said, but I still think I come through with flying colours.”