Lani Daniels is taking the IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Super Middleweight titles back to Pipiwai. Photo / AFP
By Jonty Dine of RNZ
Greatness doesn’t change Lani Daniels.
With three world titles now under her belt, New Zealand’s most decorated boxer is heading back to Pipiwai to milk cows and nurse patients.
“I better make sure I’ve still got a job, I need to go back and pick up some nursing shifts,” she said upon landing at Auckland Airport on Monday morning.
Daniels created history at the weekend, winning the IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Super Middleweight titles, after finishing Shadasia Green with a ninth-round TKO.
Her face still beams with disbelief when confronted with the enormity of the accomplishment.
“I did, I did. I did that.”
Going straight from the ring, to the hospital for a routine post-fight check-up, to some last-minute New York sightseeing, and finally on a flight home, the accolade had still not quite sunk in for Daniels.
“I’ve been just a little kid in a candy shop all week, just buzzing out. New York, Madison Square Garden, I’ve just been an excited little kid, pushing 40,” she said.
“It was surreal. I couldn’t believe that it was stopped. I knew I was going to win, but I didn’t know the fight was going to get stopped.
“So when it all happened, I just had to pause a minute to think, ‘did that just happen?’ When I realised I had won, I was just so happy, I never really celebrate like that.
“I don’t want to show off too much, but I just let it out.”
True to character, Daniels cut her in-ring celebrations short as she was overcome with concern for her fallen opponent.
Green was stretchered out after taking a number of brutal shots by Daniels, who spoke through tears when reflecting on the scary scene.
“I noticed the stretcher and I just, I freaked out. I felt like a dick show-ponying around. I went into that fight praying that we have a good fight and that we both go home safe to our families.
“I put myself in that position straight away as soon as I saw that stretcher. I thought straight away about my family, if they were to see me in that position and my heart just kind of went to her.”
Whānau has always been integral for Daniels, who made significant changes to her camp before the bout, most notably basing herself out of her small Northland town.
“I felt like I needed to go home. There was a huge calling for me to be at home. I questioned, ‘could I really do it back at home in Pipiwai with all my whānau around, with all the extra distractions and having to live a normal life?’
“When I was with Rebel (under John Conway), it was live, breathe, kaka boxing. I didn’t know if I could do it any other way. So to go home, ground myself, surrounded by whānau, it showed me that there’s actually more to give.”
Another big shift for Daniels was an overhaul of her coaching team following her loss to Claressa Shields in July 2025, a loss she admits prompted thoughts of retirement.
“I went through some major changes. I changed my team, and that was probably the hardest choice of them all, because I love my Rebel team and that’s what I battled with the most.”
Now in her corner is former world champion and Kiwi boxing pioneer Daniella Smith, who was caught on camera in-between rounds telling Lani “she doesn’t want to be a world champ, you do!”.
“It’s something that we’ve grown over the eight weeks that we’ve been together, communication has been key. One thing that I really appreciate is her honesty and her straight up-ness.
“She’s so straight up and I’m such a worry-wart and overthinker. I need to know black and white and clear instructions. I think that’s something that she’s brought to the table, she keeps me in check.”
Smith said she put a more aggressive strategy in place for Daniels.
“It was about putting that pressure on her because I studied her opponent.
“Her opponent did not know how to fight off her back foot. So if we keep her in her head to her chest, then she can’t get it. And it worked. It tied her up.
“Did I think it would work that effectively? I’m not sure, but it did.”
She urged Daniels to finish the fight, and not risk leaving it to the scorecards.
“I was just like, ‘Lana, you have to put her away, man. Do not leave it up to them.’ I even pointed at all the judges and said, ‘they don’t care about you. They’re not here for you’.”
Daniels listened, and put Green away with a barrage of overhand rights.
However, Smith said it was tough to see the impact they had on Green.
“Once we saw the stretcher coming, that really touched us all. Lani’s cousin was going to break out in haka and he stopped because out of respect for her and her family.
“I was a bit concerned Lani wasn’t going to be able to enjoy her moment because she started to get really quite down about it all. However, I think now that we know she’s okay, Lani was able to celebrate with pizza.”
The fight came under the banner of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, which has helped forge a women’s boxing renaissance.
Daniels said the company treated her and her team exceptionally well, however, there was one slight hitch, one which may have ultimately benefited her.
“There was only one little blip in the path, we sorted it quick smart, but we went over thinking I was doing three minute rounds, and so that’s what we’re prepared for.
“I actually signed another contract that same day to change it back to two. In my mind, the whole lead up, I thought we were fighting threes. I was prepared to do three, and if I had to do three, I would’ve.”
So after completing her farm chores, what’s next for the world champ?
“There’s heaps of fights to make now.”
Top of the wish list, Britain’s Savannah Marshall, who recently lost her titles to Green.
“She’s my dream fight. Before I hang up the gloves, that’s a fight I want.
“But I think there’s so many more fights to make before that one happens now that I’m home.
“I do think there’s still more of Lani Daniels to give, and I’m excited to see that because I really do feel like we’ve only just scraped the surface.”
– RNZ