Kiwi World title on the cards
New Zealand boxers will square off for heavyweight crown in May
Northland boxer, and three-time New Zealand champion, Lani Daniels will again fight for a World Heavyweight Boxing title, this time against a fellow Kiwi in May in Auckland.
An agreement was reached last Thursday that Pipiwai boxer Daniels will take on Auckland-born Samoan Alrie Meleisea for a World Heavyweight Boxing title on May 27. The fight will be at Auckland’s Eventfinda Stadium (North Shore Events Centre).
Daniels’ representative John Conway and Alrie Meleisea representative Vasco Kovacˇevic´ have been in talks since Christmas. Kovacˇevic´ and his North Shore gym Red Line Combat Academy, will be promoting the event.
Negotiations in boxing can take months to happen when it’s a fight with this much prestige on the line. However, it is remarkable that it only took three weeks to reach an agreement, showing both camps wanted the bout, Conway said.
“This is a historic fight, with this being the first fight between two Nz-born boxers and Māori vs Pasifika for a world boxing title.
“This is the second New Zealander vs New Zealander world title fight, the first being in March 2019, where Brazilian-born NZ citizen Geovana Peres won the WBO World Light Heavyweight title against Daniels.
“This will mark history as we are guaranteed our fourth NZ woman world champion champ. The other was the first-ever IBF world champion, Northland’s Daniella Smith, in 2010, Geovana Peres in 2019 and the current IBF World Bantamweight champion, Tauranga-born Australian Cherneka Johnson.”
Conway said in the world of boxing, there are four major worldsanctioning bodies with their own respected world titles and world
"This is a historic fight, being the first fight between two Nz-born boxers and Māori vs Pasifika for a world title."
John Conway
rankings.
The WBA and WBC world heavyweight titles are currently held by Costa Rican Boxer Hanna Gabriels, who won it in 2021. Gabriel is at risk of her titles being stripped due to a lack of defending the title.
The IBF and WBO World titles are currently vacant. Kovacˇevic´ is currently in negotiations with both IBF and WBO. However, things are looking good and are leaning towards the IBF World title.
He said this fight was originally booked back in February 2021 on the Joseph Parker vs Junior Fa Spark Arena undercard. However, multiple issues kept coming up, and the fight was pulled from the card.
Meleisea is a two-time NZ Heavyweight champion and is currently ranked No 3 on Boxrec, and No 5 with both ESPN and Lineal Championships. She currently holds the record of 6 wins 1 loss 1 draw. Her only loss was against professional rugby player Sequita Hemingway, and she avenged that loss for the NZ Heavyweight title last December.
Daniels is a three-time New Zealand champion and is currently ranked No 1 with WBC, No 2 with WBA, No 1 on Boxrec, No 2 with ESPN and No 3 with Lineal Championships. She is a former world title contender, with this next world title opportunity being her second. Her record of 6 wins 2 losses 2 draws, with both of her losses to retired world champion Geovana Peres.
Despite having a world title booked, Daniels has taken a fight in March before her world title fight in May, which is considered incredibly risky.
Daniels will face Palmerston North boxer Sequita Hemingway in a tune-up fight on March 10 at Auckland’s ABA Stadium. This will be a rematch, with their first encounter being back in April 2022. That fight has been in negotiations since last year with boxing promoter Craig Thomson to promote the event for his 60th event. The fight between Daniels and Hemingway will be historical in itself, being for the ANBF Australasian Heavyweight title. The titles have a long, rich history, with the first champion dating back to 1909. But despite this 114-year-old history, there has never been an Australasian women’s heavyweight title.
If Hemingway beat Daniels, the fight between Daniels and Meleisea would be without a world title status.
However, if Hemingway wins, she would not be able to take Daniels’ place in the world title fight, but she would be two more wins away from a world title shot.