JESSICA MCCASKILL VS LAUREN PRICE! 🔥 | Launch Press Conference

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Join us for the launch press conference ahead of the world title fight between Jessica McCaskill & Lauren Price.

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E e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e welcome everybody Welcome to card on May the 11th Lauren price challenges for a world title for the first time as a

Professional and does so right here on home turf in Cardiff and she’s going in deep she’s going in deep because she’s up against Jessica mascal who is the reigning defending WBA World Welterweight Champion but who until not that long ago was Undisputed at welterweight had all four of those major

Belts and she’s never lost any of them in the ring so she is therefore by definition the number one fighter at 147 pounds she’s pretty well known to British audiences because we saw her fight KY Taylor we’ve seen a fight Shantel Cameron and Sandy Ryan but you

Look at the stats for this one Johnny and it’s it’s one of these great ones where you can just come up with these these fantastic little nuggets Lauren price is 6 and0 maskill has had 10 world title fights she’s won six World titles so the golfing experience as Pros is is

Huge but at the same time people feel like Lauren price is is ready she did it all in the amateur she’s an Olympic champion she’s had the learning fights she’s needed and now it’s time to take the plunge Andy it’s obvious on paper mascal is is the favorite on paper

Because of everything she’s done all experience she’s got now now it’s the big ask the big ask from from Lauren because we know she has potential we don’t know how much potential she has we know she’s a good fighter we know she’s a strong aggressive fighter we know

She’s got the growth there we just don’t know how much she has now up against mascal there’s two scenarios the scenario could be she loses but she she she learns a hell of a lot fighting fighting some someone that so accomplished in mascal or she beats mcll

And this girl is nowhere near near the finished article and so all of a sudden you know how far she can rise how good she can be this is going to be a tough fight but massal sty actually suits Lauren down to the ground so so the only thing Lauren’s Lauren’s lacking is

Experience the ring experience the round experience that the the big fight experience now she’s got it she’s always been a top performer in any sport so that means she has the experience of dealing with pressure and that that usually affects a lot of fighter dealing with the pressure she does she deals

With it well so I think this is a kind of thing thing that gives a real haunters mentality where she thinks I want that I will I will do everything possible to do that and I’m quite sure she will the only thing she’ll La in his experience and and that will be only

Thing that that that will run rings around her so she’s got to use a Brute Force strength uh a potential to to get through mascal and really but it’s going to be a tough night a tough tough night for both Fighters not just for Lauren

Yeah absolutely and I I do expect it to be a really good fight because Mas casal’s that high pressure kind of Fighter um she loves you know boxing away from home is generally what she always does she loves that kind of Underdog role which she’s generally always been in ever since she

Won a first world title to be honest you mentioned pressure there the Olympics is a lot of pressure obviously it’s a lot of pressure but this is this is different it’s it’s boxing for a world title in front of a home crowd and in the pros you’re expected to put yourself

Out there more you’re expected to give yourself uh to us the press to the public a lot more whether you kind of really want to or not and fight week won’t be like anything she’s ever really had to do before I get that but once you’ve got the ingredience of how to

Handle pressure it doesn’t matter what where where you put it you just know how to put your brain how to relax yourself how to how to focus understand the difference between nerves and fear once you’ve had that experience you can adapt it to almost anything so this is a just

A this is just a different anything for her to deal with yes of course you know she be thinking she doesn’t know what she can do she thinks she knows what she can do when it comes to this fight now she’s when you see her fight it’s like

She she gets frustrated because their opponent’s not there to have a tear up masal is perfect masal will think I’ll give you exactly what you want you know let’s see how what you’ve got uh and and you’ve got to think remember Lauren is used to to to combat sport she’s used to

Feeling comfortable up close and personal she’s used to all of that stuff so there’s nothing that will shock her apart from the things she doesn’t know the the inexperience if she deals with that correctly she’ll be fine I think she will but she will learn a lot on the

Job but she will she will she will she’ll come through in F with fine colors how do you think masal will will play it kind of today and and in the buildup generally because I do feel like there’s there’s percentage Gams that can maybe be made there if you’re here I

Listened to her on the podcast yesterday and she’s definitely going to try and take this role of I’ve been there and done it this is too soon for you you wanton all these medals Well Done big whoop but this is too soon careful we’ve seen it happen too many times in our

Sport and it’s hard to respect a fight a mid fight if you think do car FR did against George Groves if you think n no you know you shouldn’t be in this game I’ve been there before I’ve done it you know then you’re going to underestimate and disrespect the person that’s in

Front of her if mascal goes in there with that attitude which it’ll it be very hard to have to not have that attitude because you think look what I’ve done this girl’s had six Vibes it’s going to be very hard to to give her the respect of another accomplished Champion

It’s going to be very hard to to give her that that give her a chance in her head as far as mastel’s concerned and that works in Lawrence’s favor because because in reality how could you how could you be mastle thinking this girl’s had six fights and she’s come to

Challenge me you’re going to go in there with an arrogance an ego say can never happen and the art surpris is everything and that’s why it suit low down to the ground I do think mcoo has always had this really good kind of Underdog mentality because when she came through

It was hard for her to to get any traction because she didn’t come through the Olympics or anything like that she had to work really hard outside the ring to get opportunities and she’s generally speaking been an underdog and I think she’s carried that kind of chip on her

Shoulder all the way through her career so I don’t really I mean I like that I like that you you you you know what that’s like so the only way she can switch this R in her head is to think they think she’s going to beat me you

Know she’s had she’s been at the Olympics she’s doing all this so they think so that’s how she can create that chip on her shoulder but in reality she’s got think you know what I’m accomplished I’m there I I I’ve done it already so there’s no way she can think

There’s more favor to Lauren than there is to her she’s fighting in Lauren’s backyard I you know what I’ll do that because I’m confident enough and comfortable enough to do that and and some Fighters they need they need somebody to to to set that fire in their

Belly you know I remember Chris Eubank needed someone he needed the fans to boo him because it made him the better fight and you see it over and over and over again MCO might need to be the fighter that that has a chip on the shoulder

Where the the the chips aren’t in her favor that means she’s coming to cardi that might work for her but in reality on paper you know anybody in everybody that’s around they’ll say this girl’s at six FS you know you you’ve never you’ve never lost your Bells so so so she has

To find another fire to burn in a belly to get this going people just taking their places at the at the top table behind us we’ll be getting underway before not too long these 10 two-minute rounds there’s big debate about two-minute rounds three minute rounds but these 10 2minute Rounds they do

Produce these fantastic firefight kind of spectacles and and that for me is another that’s another real challenge because you’ve got to say given what she’s done and what we’ve seen of a Lauren price is a technically better fighter here but being able to impose that over a 20 minute stretch when

Someone comes at you hard you have to go with them because youve got a match of the flat energy this is this is my B big bug bear about uh women’s boxing I think should make it three minute round because Fighters that had lose today would win tomorrow if it was a three

Minute round fight and that would make all the difference and I think some Fighters because then you’re depending on skill factor real skill factor if you’re fitter than me and I’ve got more experience than you you know that might you know you’ll beat me you know and I

Need so it’s about skill and I always think the two the three rounds would sue would suit this fight and the fight would still set on fire and definitely suit Lauren uh but it’s a case of you know what if they can try and put that

As a caveat in in with this fight happening uh so be it but it’s going to happen me eventually and some Fighters will say I want that but when that does thaten we’ll see a lot of different results with fights okay well we’re all ready to go let’s throw over to Andy

Scott hello everyone hopefully you can hear me now yeah hello everyone uh good afternoon very warm welcome to tramed here in central Cardiff where boxer and Sky Sports are delighted to announce that on May the 11th Lauren price NBA will challenge Jessica masil for a WBA World

Welterweight Title at the util Arena now unless my Google skills have let me down and I can only apologize in advance but I think there have been 13 Welsh world champions starting with Percy Jones all the way back and all the way through now to Joe Cordina but if Lauren price can

Dethrone our American visitor one of the best fighters in the world she would become the first female from these Shores to do so price also became the first ever Welsh boxer to capture Olympic gold and he’s yet to lose a round as a professional but the jump in class is

Significant we welcome our visitors from the United States Jessica mcll uh and her coach and manager Rick Ramos a two-e world champion a former Undisputed belt holder at47 who twice beat one of the greatest females of the modern era in Cecilia Brack house and has more World title

Fights than price has had professional bouts now it’s either fortune favors the brave and the right time to make the jump and make the fight or it’s a bridge too far and it proves that there can be no substitute for experience on May the 11th we will find out

Ben great fight to make it probably wasn’t easy with the negotiations to get this through but you’re confident and you always have been in Lauren price but it is a game of Risk it is a game of uh high stakes and a game of chances so why

Are you so confident that this is the right step up for Lauren against the quality Champion yeah first of all big thank you to Rick Ramos and Jessica because this is a this is a huge fight for Lauren and a huge fight for her as well I think Lauren’s broken that many

Records in her life you you sat there after six fights having not lost around and you’re thinking she’s just levels above this she needs a real real test and so this opportunity came up Jessica mccal a two-eight world champion and and you sat there and you thinking now we

Have the opportunity to go to Cardiff the when we sat down and we signed Lauren there were two things on the list become a world champion and fighting Cardiff and and build her name and build her Legacy and you look at what KY Taylor has achieved in Ireland you look

At more recently what Tasha Jonas has a achieved in Liverpool and that’s what she wants to do in Wales that’s been the Dream from the start to do it this early many will say maybe it is too early I know Jessica and Rick um for them this

Is too early for Lauren price this is her seventh fight she hasn’t been at this level before but when you’ve got someone that’s broken records throughout her career in many many different disciplines as well you take those risks and uh it’s a huge opportunity for Lauren obviously her Talent is

Unquestionable can she do it this early on in her career can she this be the start of many many famous nights and uh yeah I think we’ve got a possibly a British boxing Legend a Welsh boxing legend in the making but this is a huge test and and one that she can’t look

Beyond one of the key words there is is homecoming so you’re always going to do a homecoming be it in her debut or be it for a first world title fight or be it when she won the British title but presumably now is the rallying cry that

You need everybody that is a Lauren price supporter you need everybody that is a supporter of Welsh boxing to to come out on the 11th and and make it a lion’s den atmosphere not that I’m sure uh Jessica will mind one bit but atmosphere is key Home Advantage is key

As well yeah and we’ve seen it so many times throughout the years in Welsh boxing and I expect the same since we sign Lauren the interest from Wales the interest I don’t think we see it necessarily if you’re based in England you’re based in Scotland but the

Interest in in Lauren BBC Wales s4c everyone wants to be part of this event broadcast this event because she truly is a star she’s the first ever Welsh boxer to win a gold medal she’s an NBA she’s the most decorated British boxer in the amateur sport of all time they’re

Very very proud of her they want to go and see her break records now in the professional sport and they get to have a famous famous night where she fights for her first world title on May the 11th I expect a a huge atmosphere and a

And a and a very famous night okay I’ll come back to you but I want to welcome team Masco and Rick I’ll come to you first if you’ll permit me uh welcome back to to the UK you’ve been you’ve been all over the world box together as

A team this is nothing new for Jessica but when you listen to Ben on there it’s all good copy it’s all good headlines but do you think that these these guys have made a terrific mistake um yeah you know we Jessica and myself wherever we

Go we try to win uh we come to win we’ve we upset some people that we probably shouldn’t have uh on paper we’re just here we’re we’re grateful to be here um boxer everyone Ben shalam John everybody’s treated us tremendously since our since we got here so we’re

Excited we’re um obviously trying to derail the Lauren price train all respect to her and her family um but we’re just here to put on a good show boxing landscape I mean someone in there having had six professional fights challenging for a world title okay it’s not not particularly unheard of but at

The same time is there any substitute for experience Jess has done it against the very best beaten the very best Lauren could be the best but we don’t know yet and that’s the big question we don’t quite know how good Lauren price is um you know experience plays a role

Obviously um fighting in your hometown I think a lot of people think that you have the advantage but a lot of times that you know the media wants you running around doing appearances and you know you have your familyes and your friends are very close and sometimes that’s a distraction um but experience

Plays a role just seen it all been through it all um and you know we’re excited to be a part of this fight and like I said we just want to derail the Lauren price train respectively yeah before I move on to the fight it’s just

How confident are you um like I said we’re confident in what we do you know um you know obviously understand her background I understand that we’re in her hometown I understand what we’re going up against uh we could potentially be going up against the judges so as

Long as everybody plays by the rules and plays Fair uh we have a chance to uh put on a great show both of us win lose draw whatever we came to play I’ll welcome the champion uh plenty of nice things being said about you up here and uh this

Is nothing new to you is there any feeling of of disrespect at all that someone in their seventh professional fight can come and rip those titles away or is there kind of a a mirror image here you were once the Lauren price coming through and you were challenging

Champions and you just know that that’s the game I see a lot of that what what the latter I see a lot of myself in this specific situation and as far as where boxing for females was and where it is now that’s exactly what we need we need

People not to be afraid we need people to take the challenge we need people to stop waiting around for someone to to get old or to lose or to whatever and and we’re just trying to build female boxing and this is how you do it you were you know part of two incredible

Fights really with Cecilia brous which was a if you don’t mind me saying a passing of the torch moment where you you took it on and ran with it how do you guard against the same happening to you and Lauren price coming through and and being the Jessica mascal in in in

This situation I feel like Cecilia was very much kind of put herself on a pedestal in a way and and forgot about what boxing really is it’s fighting it’s fighting for everything that you’ve put into the sport you know I don’t I don’t see my friends all the time I’m you know

I’m missing my dog right now and I don’t get to travel back home and you know things like that and there’s so much sacrifice at least for me that every time I get into that fight that person is paying for my sacrifices so I think she forgot a lot about those things and

What boxing really is and she just let herself kind of age and she just got the torch taken from her and you can go against that obviously with yourself yeah I feel like that I’m not you know um I feel like I’m very focused and I’m

Not letting people get to my head or things or you know the flashing lights or things like that it’s not about that it’s about every morning that I get up at 3:30 to go train and the people in the gym that are training with me those

Are the things that keep me driving and as long as I have them there’s no reason to feel like I’m not ready for this I think the UK boxing crowd is a knowledgeable crowd they know when they’re witnessing a a good fighter and a great fighter but at the same time

There’s no point in me beating around the bush you are going to get probably a hostile welcome uh how do you cope with that how confident are you that that won’t uh affect you I know that you talked about yesterday maybe getting some Rick Ramos boxy scarfs I don’t

Think that that will help you in this regard but um yeah a couple of booze are probably going to make their way during your during your I welcome the booze I welcome the energy it’s just the energy and and energy is transferable so if if you’re giving any kind of energy out I’m

Going to take it and I’m going to transfer it to myself and use it for whatever I need it to be so you know if they’re for me or against me that’s okay and I’m going to use that energy is it too soon for Lauren my Katy Taylor fight was around

The same time seven six seven fights and it catapulted what me being able to show what I could do in the ring with Katy Taylor with only 25 amateur fights catapulted my career and I think that this could do the same for her and I don’t think it’s too soon she’s an

Athlete she’s allaround athlete not just boxing but she’s played other sports so I think she’ll be fine she’ll be safe she knows her body if it were anybody else I would probably say yes this is too soon but I think this is a good challenge for her Rick actually said to

Me off camera it’s one of the first times that you actually like your opponent you like Lauren PR which is great because I think you know security you can you can have a cup of tea at this stage uh famous last words of a fall but um you do have admiration for

Her it doesn’t mean that you you know once the first bell rings sure respect goes out the window but it doesn’t mean that you don’t appreciate what she did as an amateur and as a pro so far right a fight is a fight is a fight and on

Fight day that’s exactly what it’ll be but I have an appreciation for how she talks about her team and how she seems to be well taken care of and and the drive that she has we did interviews yesterday and she was at the gym doing the interview she had just finished

Working out you know and so it’s it’s just like I see some of the the key aspects that you should have as a fighter and and they’re showing up and um I don’t I don’t know Lauren personally I just you know I’m so over the the dramatic calling people out on

The internet and saying like rude and ridiculous things and flipping tables I’m I’m not going to flip this table today so um I’m just kind of over that and I just want to fight and do what I can before I’m done yeah well I welcome everything you said there and doesn’t

Mean that we’re not going to have a good fight you know you don’t need to do that in uh don’t need to do that in today’s boxing hopefully let’s bring in Lauren can keep that table screwed down over there as well uh great to see you this

Is a chance you’ve been banging the drum for Rob McCracken’s been banging the drum for but you’ve timed it hopefully perfectly but why are you so confident that the six fights that you’ve had so far have you prepared you for this jumping quality I think obviously like

When I first you know turned over professional I turned over as Olympic champion everyone expected me you know to move fast um six fights and when you look at them six fights I feel like you know I’ve enjoyed myself in there and I haven’t really been tested I haven’t

Really got out of you know first gear if anything I’ve I’ve won the rounds quite comfortable every single round on the scorecards so for me now you know it’s it’s going to be my seventh professional fight I want I want to be involved in these big fights I got complete respect

For Jessica mcco you know she’s a legit Champion it’s not as if you know I’m I’m going in there boxing for a vacant title you know she’s been there she’s she’s worn the t-shirt and I got to respect for that I know it’s my toughest test to

Date but you know I believe in myself Rob Believes In Me and and that’s it really and I believe I win and and yeah I can’t wait how did that conversation go with Ben he will give his own version of events no doubt but you did you say

Bring me bring me the best name bring me the biggest name don’t need to worry about how I get there but I I want a real challenge yeah going back obviously a last box in December and you know I said in fight week I put it out there uh

I would fight any one of the Champions and I got to you know give respect to jesser again you know for for giving me a chance because the others they didn’t want to know so you know complete respect there and um like I said I just

You know can’t wait to get on now May the 11th I’m I know it’s my toughest tested date so I’m going to train my ass off these next eight weeks and uh give him my all what do you think you’ll feel like at the top of that ramp I’ve

Already heard you say in interviews you know I want I want to do what Joe kagi did here you know with with that place packed out top of the ramp walking to the ring in your first world title challenge will you strike me as someone that’s very much in control of their

Emotions all the time but do you think that you’ll sort of soak that up and that’ll give you the extra sort of 10% do you think there’ll be some some good nerves there do you think you’ll feel ready at that point to to fulfill your destiny in the pros yeah definitely um

You know like Ben said earlier I had two things on my list when I turn over I wanted to box in Wales and I want to become world champion and yeah you look at obviously like Welsh boxing you know for me to follow in the footsteps of Joe

Kazaki he’s a complete Legend and you know that’s what I want to do I want to become a Welsh Legend I want to bring big Knights back to Wales and don’t get me wrong you know it’s a little bit of added pressure you know it’s different

You’re coming out in front of your own fans something I’m yet to experience but you know I’ve had pressure throughout my old career you know going into an Olympic final with the All Nation on my shoulders expect to win gold um I’ve dealt with with pressure and I’m sure

You know I’ll come through you know with with flying colors when it comes to like you said walking out in front of my own fans and soaking it all up and you know being at home and and having that wealth support because I un box at home for

About 10 years so yeah it’s going to mean the world to me I think we’re in an era now where we don’t have to make any differentiation between male boxing and female boxing but it would be silly not to make the point that you would become

The first ever uh Welsh female to to win a world title how does that sound to be the first to do it yeah you know it’s it’s pretty crazy obviously like going throughout my career I’ve made hisory a few times and you know to add that to my

List as well I’m very very proud to be Welsh so yeah to become the first ever yeah they’ll be special this is all again all great but you have to make sure that you do it and I know Jessica and Rick will be sitting there listening

To this saying they think it’s a done deal what sort of fight are you expecting from Jessica and putting it bluntly how do you beat her you know um for me obviously like Jessica she’s I think you know looking at her fight she’s she likes a dog fight she likes

You know feel you to get dragged in kind of make it messy sometimes she’s you know she’s tough she’s strong but for me I just got to listen to rob you know listen to what I’ve been working on stick to my you know boxing I believe

I’m the better boxer uh use my speed use my skill and um yeah just you know take it round by round and and win the rounds are we all falling into a little bit of a trap that I think you are pigeon H you are put into a bracket of you’re a come

Forward aggressive um front foot fighter but I know previous either two of you spoke about there’s more to your game than that and you have tried to show that uh particularly in your last couple of fights are we all being a bit blind to put you in that bracket that you you

Can box if you need to box but you also have tremendous success when you are attacking I I don’t think there’s an appreciation for the boxing that I do or or any of the more thought out things that that we do in in the ring I think that they’re overlooked because people

Are looking for those you know big right hands or or things like that or they’re looking for that that pressure for me to walk somebody down um so like you know Rick is he I definitely came in as a brawler and he taught me how to box and

I don’t think that people see it so um I think it’s still just kind of under the radar um oddly enough but you know I do feel like I get put into this bracket of brawling and which I love I ABS I kind of hate boxing I love brawling so it’s

It’s not anything that’s offensive or anything like that it’s just kind of what I’ve done for so long and over time Rick has been able to give me some other elements I’m not trying to create a fake beef here but do you but do you think

That I heard you say it yesterday on Sky Sports News that that perhaps people were thinking that it’s a it’s a done deal that the fight is already won as far because of me or my experience or my is that what you mean more just some of the comments in terms

Of like uh you know Lauren’s got her chance now everybody knows how good she is here but maybe they think it’s a done deal already that perhaps she’ll not get in the credit you deserve as a champion that’s been around for best part of well since since the Katy Taylor fight

Announced you I think 2017 from memory I I feel like I just normally get downplayed um I have a lot of firsts and you know some of those things just kind of get you know walked over and not paid attention to maybe because of the opponent or maybe because the fans of

The opponent but um it’s it’s just something that I have to bring back to everybody’s recognition of of what I can do and and I’ll have to show it every time I show it but I’m GNA have to show it Rick was calling for a Level Playing

Field there and fair judging I mean one of the ways to ensure that is to not leave it to the judges uh you do hit hard we’ve seen that there’s evidence of that do you believe you hit hard enough to test the chin of Lauren price and and

Win this inside the distance yeah I feel like you know every every fighter has the opportunity to to make that happen and I feel like I’m going to look for those opportunities obviously but like you said you know it’s up to the judges to be fair it’s up for the referee to to

Be fair it’s not it’s not fair when you go into the locker room and you say I expect this and then when you get into the fight the other person is doing those exact things you know so you look for everybody to play their role and not

Get caught up in what’s going on and to to make sure that they’re doing their job I think it’s really important you around at your career is there a style that you haven’t faced is there anything that you haven’t seen is there anything that Jessica brings to

The table that you haven’t done albeit with a vest than a had guard on no um you know you look at my obviously I box at uh middle as an amateur you know a box against Savannah Marshall a box you know I’ve had 75 kilo Russians running

At me um there’s nothing you know I haven’t faced from even boxing you know top technical level boxers in my Olympic final boxing against you know the Chinese no you don’t really get no more technical than than that so for me you know from an amateur point of you I have

Faced every style out there um don’t get me wrong you know I know Pros are different to amateurs and I know this fight uh is going to get tough at times but I’m going to prepare for that uh like I said I got a a great coach of me

And Rob you know we we seen what he done with with FR and AJ he knows the game inside out and my fully trust is in with him so you know I’m working with him the next eight weeks and I truly believe you know I can go all the way and create

Greatness and become a Welsh Legend you know and bring big kns back to cardi I’ll I’ll give you the final opportunity just to to pass a message to each other I mean it doesn’t have to be blood guts and thunder I don’t think we’re going to

Get that today but what will you say to Jessica as your as your parting message just you know um Good Luck uh have a great camp and I’ll see you on May the 11th uh same thing I mean I I I have high expectations for you um I think

You’re doing some amazing things in boxing and I want to see you do well not well enough to beat me obviously but um I I just hope that you’re going to do everything right in Camp and so that when we get to this fight it’s on and

Ben I not pushing you under the bright lights presumably there’s undercard news to come in the coming weeks as we build towards this this big event uh in Cardiff yeah it’ll be a huge night for Welsh boxing I I do urge everyone to come out and it’s not every day you have

A fighter after six fights wanting to test themselves it really is a great fight and it’s a great test but yeah a full card a lot of Welsh Talent on the card as well it’ll be a great night for Welsh boxing on May the 11th and fingers crossed and we see something spectacular

There you go what a lovely Pleasant press conference that we’ve had here today uh we will now pose the fighters for a head-to-head at the front and then there’ll be plenty of time for everyone to get one-on ones uh with everybody at the top table thank you very much for joining us Today i’ just been treated to the sight of Johnny Nelson crawling along the floor his hands and knees to stay under the to stay under the camera he’s just he’s just sat on the sweater of uh Lauren Price’s Nana thing there which is just an unbelievable faux

Par from Johnny Nelson but you can’t take him anywhere what what did you make of that because it was it was very very civil it doesn’t have to be the case that Fighters have to go at each other if that legitimate authentic Mutual loathing sometimes is there then then it

Could work for publicity purposes but we’ve got two fighters here who are just they’re reolid and securing who they are they don’t really feel the need to say anything other than what they believe to be facts the fact is this Jessa Massi will go up there she says she respects

Lauren which she does do she she says everything Lauren’s done I did when I I was in that position when I bought skaty Taylor again it’s Common Sense how she talks uh about about La she’s done her homework she knows everything about uh a sporting career coming through that

Means she understands the threat that’s in front of her so it’s about self-belief she knows what she’s capable of doing and again she the way she’s talking she saying you know what she’s she kind of keeping in the place say you know what you learn from this you and

It’s talking to him that way you learn from this you’ll be out here I’m I’m the boss here and that’s how the conversation has got to flow and that’s what she’s got to do she’s got to kind of subtly trying to stamp her authorities saying I’m the boss here you

Know but you learn you you do all right basically accepting you’ve lost but but but good on you I’m your friend where’s where’s where where’s Lauren Lauren she you flick a switch you flick a switch when the belt goes there’s no need for nasties you know both girls can switch

It on when they need to switch you on but when it comes to fight time that’s when the professionalism I’ll turn up I remember a really similar kind of dynamic when Anthony Joshua books Vladimir Klitschko obviously they knew each other from sparring camps and stuff like that but

Klitschko took the the big brother role didn’t he the kind of this is too soon for you but never mind you know I’m sure you’ll do well and and it’ll be a packed Arena and everybody will be pleased for you and and you’ll get some credit for

It and you could come again you know don’t worry and that’s what I clocked that’s what I clocked straight away that’s what I clocked when we U when she was speaking away she was speaking as as if to say I’m your boss uh I I really

Like you uh and good luck uh basically putting in your subconscious to say you’re not going to win you’re not as good as me but you’ll learn and you’ll be a good fighter eventually she has to do that and and that’s the maturity that’s the maturity of of a champion of

A of a a more mature fighter and that’s something she’s picked up along long the way this is in years to come L might be doing this with with an opponent that fights her smarts there doesn’t have to be any any bad blood or anything it’s just about psychological edges and and

Uh and Jessica as a fighter I clocked that straight away I thought I know exactly what you just done there about it I feel like Lauren absolutely will be going down that road herself in in future years we’ll grab a chat with the pair of them at some point

Masco was interesting though you know because I remember speaking to her before she came over to fight Katy Taylor and at that stage she pretty much well I’ll continue I’ll continue I was just saying I remember speaking to you before you came over to fight Katy Taylor and you were taking me

Through your backstory and how it was hard it was hard outside the ring you took up boxing late it was hard to get that traction to get on shows to get signed and you had the desk in the corner of the gym so you would do your

Boxing work and then you would switch over to your banking job and you know it was graft wasn’t it it was it was a grind but off the back of that KY Taylor showing you announced yourself to the world like you said up there and look at

What’s happened since you know 10 world title fights you’ve had now you’ve won six World titles Undisputed at welterweight I mean could you have imagined that I definitely didn’t imagine that I would assume that that was the goal but I was so tunnel vision that I just wanted to get to the next

Fight and get to the next challenge and then when we started fighting for belts it was like I want a belt and I want the next belt and then it just kind of grew from there but I wasn’t really looking so far down the pipe um but I just knew

That I wanted to do the best that I could in every single situation now just before we get into the specifics of this fight I I feel like you having the kind of career that you’re having at the time that it’s happened is actually been really important for for for women’s pro boxing

Because post 2012 a lot of the big names have been Olympians Olympic gold medals Olympic medalists and it’d be easy for people looking on from the outside or people looking to take up the sport or make strides to feel like you have to have done that so for you to have done

What you’ve done without that background do you sometimes feel like a bit of a a flag bearer for for people who haven’t gone down that road a bit of a you know the champion of the underdog in a way of course I mean I started boxing in 2008

And females weren’t even boxing in the Olympics until 2012 so starting at my career that wasn’t something that I was Norm naturally looking at because it wasn’t even an option and it is more of a an option to go pro or to stay as an Olympian to the point where they’ve now

Said that Pros can be Olympians you know a lot of things have changed in the last I don’t know maybe 10 years or more um but I I do feel like you have the option you don’t have to just follow everyone’s cookie cutter uh Road mapap it’s you can

Make your own blueprint do you identify with her because of that Johnny because you I mean that that’s your career isn’t it I do one thing I do want to ask you mentioned earlier on you were in in the exactly the same position when you bought ktie Taylor and so so could you

Put your yourself into the same mindset as Lauren to think because at the time when you went into to fight K you thought I’m going to be here you know I can do this I know what I’m capable of doing can you can you understand where where where she is mentally because they

Stepping in with you oh I can I can definitely see where where she is mentally and um the only thing that’s that’s different here is you know the experience and you know there’s amateurs and there’s Pro and I feel like Pro is just very different and so she doesn’t

Have the pro experience and that could be the main factor here the drive the the training her team I think she has a great sense of of elements behind her but you know she’s going to see she says she’s seen a lot of different styles but

She hasn’t seen crazy and a little bit of crazy is going to be in that ring and and and just just an odd one would did the two minutes or three minute rounds suit you better two minute or three minute rounds I I don’t feel like the

The two minutes have are the three minutes have been um medically cleared yet and that’s the thing that worries me we’re just now getting more females into this pool of Fighters and what happens when you get knocked out is that you are on suspension and you’re suspended for

However long they think you need to be suspended yeah but would it suit your style the two St um I I’ve I’ve trained for the longest on three minute rounds um I made the switch on the second Sicilia fight so I think it’s something that I’m used to and I think it could

Benefit either way because I don’t think other people are used to it so um I I could do either okay I think you’re on quite the tight schedule um so we will we will let you go but great to see you great to see you again we’ve been following you over

Here you box out Brits as well in the meantime of course and yeah I think people really took to you when you came over to fight Katy Taylor because they saw you dig in and really give it some and uh everybody loves that don’t they so we’ll let you go best of luck

Hopefully the rest of the camp goes well I feel with the kind of style thing with with Jessica as well is that it’s it is easy to classify her as a brawler she mentioned it herself up there but the reality is that can’t be true because you can’t do what she’s done if

You just step into the middle of the ring and start swinging that level if you do that you’ll get slaughtered so there’s much more to her I remember Mike mallum I keep going back in history so some of you might not know what I’m talking about I remember mik Mallen he

Was training to fight Herold graah for the world title and in the press conference he said to Herold grahe you don’t run uh and I’ll show you what a fight is M Mall’s was an unbelievable technician his nickname was the body snatch he could box he could he could

Bang and and he Tau Herold into to to fight his style of fight he knew he’d never be able to box Herold so so he appealed to his ego to say come on you stand there I don’t fight with me we we’ll see what’s going on here uh the

Rest is history Erol Erol lost a fight but he I think he got lost a point for getting involved in a brw midf fight but it’s about it’s about the Mind Games as well yes I’m quite sure Jess for Jessica she says she’s an offensive fighter she’s a front foot fighter that’s what

She wants and and the way Lawrence’s talking she she she believes she can outbox her she’s a better boxer def so that’ll be defensively so Lauren’s going to have to learn to fight on the job I and you see how laen fights it’s about holding the back behave yourself you

Know so I think they just need to be able to let her off the leash and make sure her tank doesn’t empty when she they let her off the Leakes and if they do that then I think Jessica’s going to be in shock I think Lauren’s going to

See a side to a a fight game that she didn’t realize she had I think ego it always plays a big part in any fight doesn’t it but I think for the reasons you just outlined there it really does in this one because Lauren price we feel like has got the technically Superior

Boxing skills but making that count over that 20 minute Sprint I think masu will do whatever she can to try and make sure that she isn’t in a position to impose that and that involves goding her into doing something that she probably shouldn’t do that’s right and that and

This is this and again and Jessica said it herself it’s about experience experience and it’s not just about uh rounds experience the every second of every minute of every round it’s about experience it’s the pre-fight the four plays and getting into your opponent’s head to make them think tactics change

Tactics use different tactic than what they normally do and this is where it all starts now this is all experience of the fight game it’s just know when the bell goes so these little conversations these little things that they’re saying they know for a fact that Lauren is as

Strong as an not they know for a fact she loves the tear up they know that she said saying I love a ter up don’t be surprised of what you see there they they’re experienced Fighters they’re exper they’re experienced team it’s a husband of our team they’re experienced

Team so they know what to do and how to play this game she’s very very quick Laura price she’s got that kind of warp speed when she when she needs it but I do feel like one thing that she shown us the last couple of fights is that she

Slowed everything down a little bit because when you’ve got that kind of speed what you don’t want is for it to just be blind speed the reality is you don’t need to be moving thing at that warp speed you just need to be quicker than your opponent I think this will

Lift her as a fighter because she’s you’ve seen frustration in her six professional fights there where the quality of your opponent the quality of the opponents have just not been there so now she’s got the quality step in we’re talking about you so what’s interesting to me is

People talking about is it is it too soon I understand why they ask it because you’ve had six fights and journalistically it’s kind of an obvious thing to ask but what else was the to do now because you’ve got some rounds in and you’re at that level where another interim fight that means

Fighting another Contender but why would they want to do that because rankings are at play I mean it was this this was the obvious thing wasn’t it yeah definitely you know I called her in December on my last fight I obviously said I’d fight any one of the Champions

Uh my old plan you know when I turned over as Pro I want to move fast I want to be involved in them big fights I believed in myself Rob believed in me you know to go and win an Olympic gold medal um you kind of when you turn over

As a pro you’re already I suppose that far ahead as well you know in a way so for me it just makes sense um I feel like I’m ready you know Rob feels like I’m ready and for me that’s all that matters you know as long as he backs me

Then you know I’m going into Camp I’m I’m giving it my all and I believe you know I I’ll get a win people are talking about pressure and nerves and all that kind of stuff and that that’s completely understandable because the Olympics is massive pressure this will be slightly

Different because the the context is is different but I remember talking to you about all of this and mentality you and Caris Before Christmas um and the phrase you came up with was yeah fire in the belly ice in the mind that that’s exactly it isn’t it for for this for

This situation home crowd first time you’re boxing your wells for a long time a lot on the line that separation is is key yeah definitely that comes back from my football days you know that’s what they used to say to me you know fight fire in the belly ice in the mind and

That’s exactly what I’m going to do you know obviously the ring walk and having that crowd there is amazing and I’m going to Sock it all up and enjoy it but I know as soon as I step into that ring there’s only one man I’m going to be

Listening to and that’s Rob I got to be fully focused and I suppose you know that’s that’s one thing I kind of do well I I kind of block the crowd out so for me I just got to you know round one win that round and then go on and and do

What I got to do I mean it is key isn’t it it’s not necessarily that it’s not that easy a thing to do that kind of compartmentalization uh yeah without a doubt then the one thing that’s probably stood out to again it’s that experience she she mentioned it I’m quite sure many people

Have mentioned it does does the the the the round the ring the experience in difference between the two of you does that bother you at all or or when you were calling all the Champions out you believe that what you have is enough to to negate anything any experience

They’ve got in front of you yeah definitely you know I believe in my you know ability my my skill level my boxing ability and yeah I feel like you know I’ve had a few six fights now as a pro uh each fight I’m getting better and

Better and I believe you know in time I will season into a great professional um I believe that you know I am going to become one of the greatest you know to take over and and do that but right now I feel like this fight it’s the right

Time you look at my last six fights and I haven’t really you know had to you know dig deep and kind of you know go through the gears and stuff like that don’t get me wrong I expect Jessica to test me I know you know she’s going to

Come with a dog fight and I know it’s going to get tough in there but but you know I’ve I’ve been in tough scenarios like that before you know I’ve been up against you know legitimate girls in am don’t get me wrong I know it’s different

But I’ve been in scenarios like that and you know the next eight weeks I’m going to you know go through all our Rob again and and I’ll be prepared no matter what just a little tip I know you two are friends I’m not trying to cause trouble

What I’m saying is don’t I I I I noticed and I’ve seen it with Fighters before where where she’s she’s trying to she’s she’s praising you she’s she’s blessing you saying you’re a great fighter you’ll do well she’s basically saying there there you subtly saying you’re not going

To win but you’re going to do well you please tell me you clock that stuff don’t fall definitely I know that she’s going to come out from round one and try to take my head off I got no doubt in that you know um she’s the champion at

The end of the day and I respect her uh I you know I got ultimate respect for her but I’m not a friend I’m not a friend but no definitely for me you know as a person I come across I am a nice person and I’m laidback and I’m quite

Chill I don’t really run my mouth because that’s not me but you know when it comes to the boxing when I go to dig deep and have a fight I will how much you looking forward to to fight week because as you said up there you haven’t

Boxed in Wales for 10 years and that’s kind of the price you pay when you go into that GP Elite Performance Squad it’s it takes you away from from from home basically that’s that’s the real and that’s hard as well it’s it’s it’s a lonely old life this isn’t it but you

Look at the Glory Days of some of the amazing times we’ve had down here at the arena and at the stadium and you know Joe won a World title last year Joe Cordina you know it’s it’s it’s time for a new wave isn’t it yeah definitely you

Know you see what Katy Taylor’s done for Ireland you know I want to do the same for Wales uh for me like you said I’ll be win this fight I’ve made history again and that’s that’s all I want to do I want to be boxing in Wales you know

Bring boxing back to Wales we see more Kaki done you know and stuff like that and yeah it’s just I I suppose you know it’s time now for me to fly the flag as well and and and get big nights back to whals do do you feel like it’s do you

Feel like people don’t really understand if if they’re not from here just the the absolute fever for sport that there is in in Wales generally but particularly in South Wales oh yeah definitely you know we’re a small nation a very proud country you see it with you know the

Rugby the Six Nations you see it with the football Everyone Gets behind their own uh you’ve only got to go out you know on a on a rugby match go the card if the street is full everyone you know supports and turns out so for me you

Know I’m hoping you know May 11th they all come out for me and support me and I’m sure they will because up to now you know the the well support that I have received is has been insane do you think we’re ready for a new a new kind of era

In well boxing I think I think Wales is ready for a new hero uh and it’s the new era and uh I think it’s be left in good hands uh and uh I think you’ll be very responsible in what you’re doing too yeah Andy asked you actually you know

What it’ll feel like when you’re standing at the at the top of the ramp I mean do you how much do you think about stuff like ring walks and and the music and and how you want to do it and all that kind of stuff because you do you do

Come across as quite no nonsense but also meticulous and that kind of thing you know not many athletes get that you know it’s this thing we’ve got in boxing that a other athletes don’t get yeah I think obviously like it is going to be an added pressure and is going to be

Different you know but fun yeah exactly and I’m going to Sock It Up I’m going to enjoy it I am I’m going to take it get all in um but like I know like obviously when it comes when I get to that ring you know it’s down to business then and

Like Johnny said you know as soon as our Bell goes she’s not my friend anymore and I know she’s going to you know bring it to me so I’ve got to be ready i’ got to be prepared and I certainly will be and I’m taking you know like I turned

Over my my goal was and my dream was I want to become world champion so to have three World titles on the line you know I’m going to go for it all the way and I believe you know I I come out on top okay thanks we’ll uh we’ll let you go

You’re going to be here for a while by the way you’re going to be here for a while get to get used to this I know you’re kind of used to it already but you’ve got you got plenty of interviews coming your way yeah she’s kind of she’s

Very consistent isn’t she in how she is with us and and sometimes when you get fighters who don’t necessarily have as much to say as others it’s easy to look at them and feel like they maybe lack a little bit of confidence but often I go

The other way I feel like the ones who don’t need to say that much the reason they don’t feel the need to is because they’re completely confident and she’s always struck me as one of them yeah yeah I think from the day one when she turned Pro there was I always thought

This this young girl believes believes in herself no matter what uh and she there there are a few fights as that no I don’t have to shout I just have to prove it when I get in the ring now that might affect you commercially uh because

You want to you know get the imagination going you want to be like the pan mind you have love you or hate you but but but for certain Fighters if you can fight and you’re in a position you’ve got that platform and you don’t have to

Use your math you don’t have to be in someone’s face then then then the words are oyster I think for for Laura if if her opponent was in her face she’ll answer that but she doesn’t need to be the aggressor she just thinks my fight she fights aggressively her style of

Fight is that you can’t go and and try and pick pocket her she wants to tear up she gets frustrated when that’s not in front of her and that’s why this fight will suit her style down to the ground and so this fight will take how good potentially she can be

Regardless of how it turns out well it’s going to be tough it is going to be tough because Jessica mccal has outlined is is the name in the welterweight division in female pro boxing she became Undisputed beating Cecilia breus who had never lost she was 36 and0 at the time a

Long reigning number one not just in that division but in the in the whole of the sports so that’s where she’s been with caskill and she comes here with a lot of confidence she will come here on May the 11th with a lot of confidence but so does Lauren price an Olympic gold

Medalist but now is the time for her to put that one on the Shelf foremost get that first world title belt and then just crack on from there I can’t wait for it May the 11th live on Sky Sports