Shields Still Chasing Lauren Price After Sixth-Round TKO in Atlanta

Claressa Shields barely had time to unwrap her hands before her team pivoted to the real prize. Fresh off a sixth-round TKO of Kaye Scott at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on August 16, retaining her WBC and WBA female middleweight belts, Shields and promoter Dmitry Salita immediately steered the conversation back to Lauren Price.

Salita told Sky Sports the fight remains the target, insisting his side has already signed off on every request from BOXXER and Price's camp. The plan was to get both women in the same room over the weekend to iron out anything outstanding. Price, who was invited to the Atlanta card, never turned up.

That absence is the sticking point. Salita said he wanted Shields and Price to sit down face to face, praising both as intelligent operators who understand how big fights get made. The meeting didn't happen, but he framed the talks as ongoing rather than dead — a nudge, not a slammed door.

The Backup Plan

Salita isn't putting all his chips on one square. He confirmed other conversations are running in parallel in case the Price bout stalls, name-checking Mikaela Mayer and Tamm Thibeault as alternatives. The message was clear enough: Shields wants the biggest available name, and she'll take it from whichever direction it comes.

None of that changes what Shields already is. She's the most decorated woman in the sport's modern era, and the Scott win was another routine night against an opponent operating a level below her. The Price fight is the one that actually moves the needle — an undefeated Olympic gold medalist against boxing's self-styled GWOAT is the sort of clash that sells itself.

For now, it's a waiting game dressed up as negotiation. Salita says the door's open and the terms are agreed on his end. Whether Price walks through it is the only question that matters — and until she does, expect Shields to keep saying her name.