Northland world boxing champions Lani Daniels, from Whangārei, and Mea Motu, from Kaitāia, will fight in their home region for the first time in December
Northland world boxing champions Lani Daniels, from Whangārei, and Mea Motu, from Kaitāia, will fight in their home region for the first time in December
Northland’s two world boxing champions - Kaitāia’s Mea Motu and Whangārei’s Lani Daniels - will get to fight in their home region for the first time in a history-making world title double header, outdoors in December.
The fight night will be a history-maker at Whangārei’s Semenoff Stadium in early December.
Motu and Daniels successfully defended both of their world titles on the same night last Saturday in Auckland in amazing fashion.
Now, both will get to defend their titles again, but this time in their home region, making history in so many ways.
At Eventfinda Stadium on Auckland’s North Shore last Saturday, Motu retained her IBO world super bantamweight title with a lopsided decision over Malawi’s Ellen Simwaka despite an injury early in the fight. Her shoulder dislocated in the first round, and Motu popped it back in to win the fight by unanimous decision.
And Daniels proved to be far too slick for South African challenger Razel Mohammed to earn a fourth-round standing TKO in their IBF heavyweight title bout. It was Mohammed’s first professional stoppage in her career.
Kaitāia’s Mea Motu celebrates her successful world title defence on Saturday. Photo / Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz
The boxing event was a history-maker with two Māori world champions - and both from Northland - successfully defending their respective world titles in the same event.
Now, both champions will defend their titles in Northland, which again will be history-making.
Both have never fought in their home region during their professional career, and there has never been a televised boxing fight hosted in Northland before. The event will be New Zealand’s first Boxing Stadium show since 1962 at Athletic Park in Wellington.
Promoter Dean Lonergan said the fight night event will most likely be on December 2 in the unofficial capital of Northland.
“The event will be held at the Semenoff Stadium, also known as Okara Park, which is an outdoor stadium that generally can hold between 18,500 to 30,000 depending on the requirements needed for the event from the venue. However, in the 1970s, the attendance record was close to 40,000 for a rugby union game [Ranfurly Shield defence against Auckland].”
The stadium has hosted multiple different events over the years, mostly rugby union games. Two events that got the stadium close to selling out were Six60 Concerts and the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
As to who could be the opponents for Daniels and Motu, Lonergan has a long list of potential challengers.
“Both boxers have many options; however, Daniels will be getting close to being given a mandatory challenger,” Lonergan said.
“But the next defence could be retired Geovana Peres, winner of Vanessa Lepage Joanisse v Timea Nagy, which happens on September 8, Raquel Miller, Shadasia Green, Bolatito Oluwole, Angie Paola Rocha, if Australian Che Kenneally wins her next fight in October, Aidyl Cardenas and Oxandia Castillo.
“In my professional opinion, Oxandia Castillo should be named the mandatory challenger for the title. But as for possible world title defences, I prefer Geovana Peres, Che Kenneally or Bolatito Oluwole.
“As for Mea Motu, the one name we all want Mea to fight is Cherneka Johnson. Cherneka Johnson was the former IBF World Super Bantamweight Champion before losing it to Ellie Scotney in June. Motu vs Johnson would be a history-making bout to have the first ever Māori v Māori for a world title fight. A backup option would be the legend Gentiane Lupi from Wellington. Lupi has not boxed since 2021 but was a former WIBA World Super Bantamweight Champion.”
Lupi is still active in the kickboxing scene though.
“The final name on this list I would love to see fight Mea Motu is legendary Australian boxer Susie Ramadan, who has defeated two New Zealand boxers, including the legendary Michelle Preston and Christina Tai. Ramadan’s last in-ring performance was a defeat against Cherneka Johnson.”
