Price Survives Bloody Battle, Retains Unified Crowns Against Piñero
by Rowerth Goncalves
In a fight that began as a technical showcase and turned into a grueling test of grit and resolve, Wales’ Lauren Price retained her unified welterweight world titles with a unanimous decision victory over Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Piñeiro Aquino. The bout, held Saturday night at Utilita Arena Cardiff, left the champion bloodied but unbroken, her belts still firmly in her possession.
From the opening bell, Price (10-0, 2 KOs) put her Olympic pedigree on full display. Using superior hand speed and constant lateral movement, she controlled the first four rounds, snapping Piñeiro’s head back with crisp right hooks and straight lefts. Despite holding a noticeable height advantage, Piñeiro (10-1, 3 KOs) struggled to pin down the elusive Welsh fighter at range.
The fight took a dramatic turn in the fifth round. An accidental clash of heads opened a deep cut over Price’s right eyebrow and left her mouth bloodied, with blood pouring heavily. Sensing opportunity, Piñeiro ramped up the pressure, trapping the champion along the ropes in the sixth and seventh rounds and landing heavy combinations that tested Price’s durability.
Unfazed by the blood staining her white trunks, Price showed the heart of a true champion in the championship rounds. In the ninth and tenth, she abandoned her hit-and-move approach and stood her ground, trading in the center of the ring with sharp, surgical precision that ultimately halted the challenger’s momentum.
After ten hard-fought rounds, the judges returned scores of 98-92, 99-91, and 98-92, all in favor of Lauren Price.
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