Kal Sajad

BBC Sport Journalist at The Dorchester, London

Natasha Jonas v Lauren Price

Venue: Royal Albert Hall, London Date: Friday, 7 March

Coverage: Follow live text commentary from 20:00 GMT and radio coverage from 21:00 on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website & app

Trainer Joe Gallagher complained about “uncalibrated” scales before world champions Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price successfully weighed in for Friday’s welterweight unification fight.

Just as WBA belt-holder Price was about to step on to the stage, Jonas’ trainer Gallagher questioned why the scales were missing a sticker of authenticity.

He claimed all undercard fighters were “about a pound lighter” than they should be, and demanded the weigh-in be postponed until the scales were calibrated.

“They’re the rules. I’m only playing by the rules,” Gallagher said.

But an official from promoter Boxxer directed the weigh-in to continue, before Wales’ Price weighed in at 10st 5lb – two pounds under the welterweight limit.

Liverpool’s WBA and IBF champion Jonas then tipped the scales at 10st 6lb.

“Isn’t boxing full of dramas? I was light, with my clothes on,” Jonas, 40, said.

Price, 30, won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and is unbeaten in eight pro fights.

“Gallagher is trying to make it about himself but it’s Jonas v Price,” she said.

The event ended with a cordial handshake between the two champions, who will headline the all-female card at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Once again, Gallagher stole the show and deflected attention away from his fighter – perhaps to ease any pressure on two-weight champion Jonas.

“They’re not calibrated scales. I’ve got the certificate, the sticker is up there on the screen, they were calibrated on 9 January,” he told Sky Sports after the weigh-in.

“People saying I am kicking off again, but we’re talking about a world title event. Can you imagine, hypothetically, [Manny] Pacquaio or [Floyd] Mayweather fight and they’re not calibrated scales?”

On Wednesday, Gallagher had fired back at Team Price and questioned why his fighter was considered the underdog.

After the weigh-in, Jonas – who has won 16 professional fights, lost two and drawn one – paid tribute to Gallagher’s “tenacity, devotion and dedication”.

The 56-year-old revealed earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with stage four bowel and liver cancer.

“He might have his moments but right now he is still soldiering on,” Jonas said.

“One of the things we do as a boxer is masking our emotions and he’s probably doing a lot of that.”

Price, who has cruised through the paid ranks and won a world title in just her seventh bout, refuted any suggestion from Team Jonas that she may have found it difficult to make the welterweight limit.

“I don’t crash the weight, it’s my natural weight,” she said.

“I’m in my prime, it’s my time and I’m ready. I’ll be taking those belts back to Wales.”

A victory over Jonas would lift Price’s career to new heights.

The Welshwoman is targeting the winner of WBO champion Mikaela Mayer v Sandy Ryan – who fight later this month – in an undisputed title bout by the end of 2025.

Earlier, a fired-up Caroline Dubois and South Korea’s Bo Mi Re Shin both weighed in at 9st 7lb for their lightweight world-title contest.

Londoner Dubois, 25, smiled and flexed her muscles before the two women gently leaned in with their heads for the face-off.

“We’re going to let our fists do the talking. These are my belts and this is the closest she is going to get to them,” Dubois – draped in the WBC and IBO belts – said.

Olympic bronze medallist Cindy Ngamba was not present at the weigh-in, however, after she was withdrawn from her pro debut on medical grounds on Thursday morning.

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