HAVING turn out to be the primary Welsh boxer to win an Olympic Gold medal and the primary girl to win a Lonsdale belt Lauren Value is now aiming to be a world champion in her seventh skilled bout.
The 29-year-old will problem Jessica McCaskill, 12-3-1 (5 KOs), for her WBA welterweight strap with particulars of the date and venue in Wales being launched at the moment throughout this afternoon’s launch press convention.
Chicago’s McCaskill must defend her title in Value’s residence nation and hope to smash the goals and ambitions of the Newport fighter.
Combating McCaskill will signify solely the second 10-round contest of Value’s profession up to now. Having began off in six and eight spherical bouts she jumped to 10 rounds and created historical past by changing into the primary British feminine champion beating Kirstie Bavington on factors in Could final 12 months. Since then, she has stopped former Savannah Marshall opponent Lolita Muzeya in six rounds and in December defeated former Mikaela Mayer foe Silvia Bortot.
McCaskill can be going through British opposition for the third time since June 2022 when she misplaced her bid to turn out to be undisputed light-weight champion towards Chantelle Cameron. And 6 months in the past in Orlando, McCaskill was lucky to stroll away with a cut up draw throughout her unification towards WBO welterweight title holder Sandy Ryan in a battle that the 30-year-old from Derby appeared to do greater than sufficient to win. McCaskill additionally misplaced to Eire’s Katie Taylor in December 2017 in an unsuccessful try and win the WBA light-weight belt.
Chatting with Sky Sports activities, Value highlighted how she believed she will be able to defeat McCaskill: “My skillset, my pace, my motion.”
However she is beneath no illusions as to how massive this check is.
“If you take a look at my professional profession Jessica is one of the best professional one who I’m gonna step up and face. Everybody else I’ve felt comfy [with] in there and received each spherical clear on the playing cards. I perceive it’s a step up,” Value stated.
“Regardless that I do suppose the professionals is totally different to the amateurs there’s nothing like having a 75 kilo Russian working at me for 3 rounds and me having to boxing rings round her,” she added.
“I’ve blended it with one of the best. I’ve boxed each single fashion in boxing. There’s nothing I imagine that I haven’t confronted earlier than in order that’s the place my perception comes from. I’ve acquired to show myself. However once I turned over as Olympic champion that was the dream from the get-go, I need the massive fights, I wish to transfer quick, I wish to create a legacy. I wish to be the subsequent Joe Calzaghe.”
“I’m going for a Lauren Value comfy win,” she predicted.
McCaskill is on a run of 10 world title fights and reminded Sky Sports activities viewers that no-one has ever received a title that she owned going into a type of bouts.
“I’ve needed to vacate belts, however no-one has ever taken any of my titles and that’s how I plan to maintain it,” McCaskill stated.
“I really feel like I used to be in the identical place the place I had virtually no novice fights in comparison with a few of these fighters now and other people didn’t suppose I used to be prepared, and also you see the place my profession’s gone. A number of world titles, 10 title fights back-to-back. That is her alternative to close all people up and placed on a great present.”
