Pipiwai boxer Lani Daniels’ last IBF Light Heavyweight world title defence ended with victory over Australian Desley Robinson in Whangārei last December. Another successful defence on Saturday should see her head overseas to take on some of the world’s best
Pipiwai boxer Lani Daniels’ last IBF Light Heavyweight world title defence ended with victory over Australian Desley Robinson in Whangārei last December. Another successful defence on Saturday should see her head overseas to take on some of the world’s best
Northland world champion boxer Lani Daniels hopes a victory in Hamilton on Saturday will propel her to take on some of the world’s best fighters in the UK.
However, the Pipiwai, Whangārei, fighter admits this has been her toughest training camp yet, so hard that she contemplated giving the game away and wonder ‘’if I was good enough.’’
The intensive camp with trainer John Conway was the hardest yet and has kept her away from her beloved Pipiwai for 10 weeks, and she’s determined to unload all that frustration on Oluwole in the Globox Arena.
‘’This camp has been so hard and it has really pushed me. I understand now when the top boxers say ‘this has been my hardest camp yet’ after every camp as you have to make it harder every time if you want to get to the top,’’ Daniels said.
“I found it really difficult at first to get the motivation for this. I’ve always fought for my whānau, my parents, my coach and my town, so (motivation) was easy. But I found that just wasn’t enough for me this time and I nearly cracked. I seriously considered giving it up and wondered if I was good enough for this - it just wasn’t cutting it. I had to check myself before I wrecked myself and really ask why was I doing this?
‘’But John pushed me really hard and I had to look really deep within myself to find that motivation. I had to learn that I’m doing this for me - all those others are still there (as motivation) - but now it’s for me and I can’t wait to get in there.’’
Whangārei boxer Lani Daniels will put her IBF Light Heavyweight world title on the line against hard-hitting Nigeria's Bolatito Oluwole in Hamilton on Saturday
She said the experience made her realise that if she wanted to be a multiple world champion and the best at her weight it required ‘hard, hard work, not just physical but mental too’.
‘’So from about three weeks ago it all clicked and now it’s all go. If I want to be the best I just had to suck it up buttercup and get on with it.’’
She said she’d never been more prepared and had worked out a game plan against the hard-hitting Nigerian.
‘’Basically box and box, hit hard, hurt her and don’t get hurt . . . I really want to make her pay. She’s a hard hitter, with a 9-0 record and 5 knockouts, so she can certainly bang. I’ve just got to make her feel my power and see how she copes.’’
She’s looking forward to fighting in Hamilton as she lived there for eight years, doing her nursing training, getting her first job and starting her boxing there.
Motu will challenge England’s Ellie Scotney (9-0) for the IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine titles on October 26 in Manchester, England.
‘’It’s awesome that Mea is going over there to show them what we have here. She’ll show them what us Māori girls from the north are all about.
‘’I want to get to the UK too and show them the boxers from Tai Tokerau who are coming for their titles.’’
Daniels also wants to use her experience and knowledge to mentor the next generation of Northland boxers to get them ready to take on the world.
‘’It’s great that (former world champion boxer) Danielle Smith has returned to Kaikohe and is giving back for the next generation. Danielle has been the trailblazer for women’s boxing up here and I want to help that too.’’
