From a rural, almost unknown area of New Zealand, to the big marquees in the motor city. That’s how Lani Daniels’ career in the world of boxing can be summed up
Lani Daniels is not your average boxer. She is a nurse, community trainer, Maori leader and now the woman who will face Claressa Shields on July 26 with the eyes of the world on her.
What is Lani Daniels’ nickname?
Daniels, known as The Smiling Assassin, is 37 years old, has a record of 11 wins, two losses and two draws, and holds the IBF light heavyweight world title. She does not have an imposing punch, with just one knockout in 15 fights.
- He makes up for his lack of punching power with stamina, skill and a heart that is as big inside the ring as it is outside
- Born in Whangarei, New Zealand, and raised in Pipiwai, Daniels is part of the Ngti Hine and Ngpuhi Maori people. Life has not been easy for her, but she has not let herself be defeated.
- Of deep convictions. The loss of her brother to leukemia when she was a teenager was a hard blow for her. This led her to fall into addictions and she thought about taking her own life
- But he found in boxing a form of redemption. And it is there that he has managed to forge a career.
- She studied nursing while training. Today she works as a mental health nurse and trains young people in her community for free. Boxing did not save her: she saved herself with discipline and faith. In fact, she refuses to fight on Sundays because of her religious convictions.
When did Lani Daniels make her professional boxing debut?
Daniels made his professional debut in 2017 and has since won three national titles in New Zealand in different divisions. He has fought at light heavyweight, super middleweight and middleweight. He is orthodox, 1.69 m tall and has a reach of 170 cm.
Her history includes close duels against figures such as Geovana Peres (who defeated her twice), and epic fights against Tessa Tualevao, with whom she signed a trilogy with two consecutive draws. If Daniels has shown anything, it is that she does not give up.
A date with history against Claressa Shields
Lani Daniels will face the undefeated Claressa Shields, the best pound-for-pound female boxer, in a fight that will put her on the global stage. The challenge is huge. No one has beaten Shields. But Daniels is not defined by wins or losses, but by the fight itself.
And believe it, the internal fight was won years ago.
Read the full article here
