March 31 can't arrive quickly enough for Featherston professional boxer Sue Latta.
It's then she will lock horns with well-performed Aucklander Danielle Smith on the undercard of the David-Tua-Talmadge Griffis heavyweight bout in Auckland and Latta is fit and raring to go.
"Everything has gone perfectly," she said of her build-up to
what will be only her tthird bout ever, the other two producing a South Pacific professional title in 2001 and a New Zealand professional title the following year.
In between times her interest has been in kick boxing, a sport where she has won a world super welterweight title and placed second at the world championships
Latta's preparation for her Auckland fight has been intensive.
She goes on either road runs and tramps from Monday to Friday and in the weekends travels to be with her coach in Dannevirke where she spends up to four hours a day doing anerobic exercises, sparring or working on her technique.
And, touch wood, she hasn't had any sign of the achilles injury which stopped her from competing at the world kick boxing championships in Thailand late last year.
"I'm probably as fit now as I've ever been," she said. "I'm feeling right at the top of my game."
Latta is making to secret of her tactics against Smith, who will be having her first professional fight after a very successful amateur career.
She intends to take the battle to Smith at every opportunity in a bout scheduled to go four two minute rounds and is relying on the power in her punching to give her a winning advantage.
"The more punches I can get in the better so I won't be sitting back and waiting for things to happen," she said. "The idea is to get her on the back foot early in the piece and keep her there."
Latta says the live televising of her fight won't faze her as she has experience in that area already with kick boxing bouts in Thailand televised live on at least six channels.
"I won't be thinking about that," she said. "All the concentration will be on winning???.that's what I'm there for."
