Lani Daniels comes from the small town of Pipiwai in Northland, New Zealand. She is from the Iwi Ngāti Hine, and Ngāpuhi is a descendant of Te Tai Tokerau in the Hapu of Te Orewai. Daniels is a proud Maori and gives a lot back to her community.

Daniels comes from a big family with nine siblings. At a young age, she experienced a big loss when at the age of 14, her 11-year-old younger brother died of leukemia. Since then, she struggled with Mental health in her teens and early twenties. She was self-destructing with alcohol, drugs and with obesity. Sadly she even thought about taking her life. She turned her life around and started studying to become a nurse. She got inspired by her older sister Caroline, who fought on a charity fight night, pushing both sisters to become amateur boxers and lose weight.

Under coach Dion McNabney at Nabby's Boxing GYM, Daniels became an amateur boxer, leading to her becoming a two-time New Zealand amateur champion. She got an opportunity to fight at the amateur world championships. Unfortunately, after plans got made, Daniels decided not to compete due to her first round being on Sunday. Daniels, due to religious beliefs, refuses to fight on a Sunday.

Eventually, Daniels graduated as a nurse and now works as a mental health nurse in Whangarei, New Zealand, and trains youth for free in her community in both Pipiwai and Whangarei.

Daniels made her professional boxing debut in 2017 against another Northland boxer, Trish Vaka. This was a massive New Zealand boxing event. Daniels won the fight by Unanimous Decision. The two would have a rematch two months later for a New Zealand Light Heavyweight (NZPBA version) title. Daniels won the fight by unanimous decision winning her first New Zealand title.

The following year, Daniels took on Geovana Peres in the first fight of their rivalry. Peres, the first LGBT person to win a New Zealand professional title, held a New Zealand title in a different New Zealand commissioning body with the PBCNZ. Peres defended the PBCNZ Light heavyweight New Zealand title against Daniels. At the event, Daniels met with John Conway, who then became her long-term Trainer and Manager. The fight was close, but Peres won the fight by Split Decision. Peres was knocked down in the ninth round; however, it was deemed a slip.

Daniels would return a couple of months later to defend her version of the New Zealand title against Nailini Helu. Daniels won the fight comfortably, successfully defending the title by unanimous decision. After the fight, Lani Daniels entered the WBA world rankings. In September 2018, Daniels tried out a new weight division when she fought for the Pro Box New Zealand Super Middleweight title against Tessa Tualevao. Daniels won the fight comfortably, winning the vacant title and becoming the first New Zealand female boxer to win two professional New Zealand titles in two different weight divisions from two different commissioning bodies.

In early 2019, it was announced that the rematch between Daniels and Peres was announced, but this time for a World WBO Light Heavyweight title. Throughout the build-up, there was nothing but pure respect for both boxers. Unfortunately, Daniels lost the fight by Unanimous Decision. However, this created history with Geovana Peres becoming the fight LGBT boxer to represent New Zealand to win a World title.

After the fight, Daniels fought in a rematch against Tessa Tualevao in a new weight division, with the New Zealand PBCNZ Middleweight title. This was one of the most exciting fights of 2019. The fight was so close it ended in a draw. The fight became a trilogy when the two met again in October 2019. Again the fight was so incredibly close that fight ended in a draw.

Daniels thought about retiring from boxing after the fight. In 2022 Daniels wanted to make her return to boxing as she felt she had slipped back into old habits and needed to come back to lose weight. An opportunity arose for her to take on Sequita Hemingway. Daniels won the fight by unanimous decision.

Daniels would next take on New Zealand amateur national champion Tinta Smith for the Pro Box New Zealand Light Heavyweight title. Leading into the fight, Daniels really had to climb mountains to get to the fight. She had to battle covid during her fight camp, dealing with an ACL injury and her cousin being murdered a couple of weeks before the fight. The fight was close; however, Daniels won her third New Zealand title by unanimous decision.

Biography:  Written by Benjamin Watt
 

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