Cecilia Braekhus has warned that Jessica McCaskill and Lauren Price’s world title fight could turn into a brawl, and has backed the Olympic champion to prevail when the pair clash this weekend.
Price will challenge for a first world title in just her seventh professional fight when she takes on former undisputed champion McCaskill for the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine world welterweight belts.
Boxing legend Braekhus knows McCaskill well, having suffered back-to-back defeats to the American across 2020 and 2021.
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“I am excited about that fight,” Braekhus told Sky Sports. “I’m looking forward. I just wish it had much, much more traction over here in the States. I think it’s going to be a great fight.
“It’s going to be a tough fight. They both have a little bit of a similar style and mindset, they love to brawl.
“It’s going to be an ugly fight, but it’s going to be crazy entertaining. You just have to tune into this one, I think it’s going to be a banger.”
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Despite her experiences against McCaskill, former undisputed welterweight ruler Braekhus believes Price’s vast amateur experience will give her the edge in the face of McCaskill’s physical approach.
“I think I would give Price the slight upper hand,” said Braekhus. “She’s strong, she’s physical, she has the background from amateur boxing where you used to fight a lot of different styles.
“Obviously she has the home advantage. And you know, Jessica has one way and she always does the same. I’m pretty sure they have studied her a lot.
“I would go for Price but they’re both going come in and they’re both going to bang. This is just going to be crazy entertaining. I’ll be watching 100 per cent.”
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Braekhus previously reigned as female boxing’s most dominant figure with a 36-fight unbeaten streak that spanned 13 years and saw her defend all four major welterweight world titles on 10 occasions. Missing from her glittering resume, though, is an appearance at the Olympic Games, which only welcomed female boxing to the scene in 2012.
Price became the latest beacon of Olympic success in Tokyo when she marched to a famous gold medal, Braekhus welcoming it as yet further progress for the sport.
“I’m just super happy that it happened,” she continued. The first time women were put on in the Olympics it was like, ‘oh my god, it’s just so new, all so new’.
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“When it happened I was afraid I was going to feel a little bit angry and bitterness, but to be honest I didn’t happen. I was just so happy that we finally were there, that we were finally over that hurdle because honestly, I didn’t know if that would ever happen.
“And like we predicted, that was one of the reasons that female boxing also blew up and there were more resources put in to women’s boxing, more to the team, to training, to coaches. So that was a real vitamin boost for women’s boxing, and I could only be happy about it.”
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While she may not have featured on the Olympic stage, the 42-year-old takes pride in having played a part in laying the foundations for what has become a blossoming women’s scene.
“When we were travelling around the world, we didn’t get paid, we paid for everything ourselves,” she said. “We slept in the craziest places. We didn’t get anything back materialistic, we only did it because we love the sport.
“We did it for the friendship, for the camaraderie, for the experiences. All the women who were part of that era just feel some kind of pride that we endured all that because without us we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
As for a potential match-up with Price before hanging up her gloves, Braekhus suggested it would have to be at a different weight.
“We’d love the fight, but like I say, I cannot do 147. That is not going to happen!” she said.
It’s one of the biggest sporting events in a generation. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk collide for the undisputed world heavyweight championship on Saturday May 18, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book the fight now.
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