Smith rising to title defence

Daniella Smith's rise to the top of international boxing just got a touch more dizzying with the announcement that she will defend her world title at altitude in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Kaikohe-born mother-of-two will defend her world IBF welterweight belt against Noni Tenge in the republic on June 11.
"It's the first time that I'll be fighting at altitude and so that's going to be different but hopefully it won't make too much of a difference," she said.
The 38-year-old boxer doesn't believe it will affect her much but isn't taking the altitude question lightly.
"I've been tested and apparently my genetic make-up means I'm in the top five per cent of people who are best suited to competing at altitude," she said.
"But even after the guy who tested me told me that, the fact it is will all be new to me and that still plagues me a little as I prepare for the fight."
Smith is disappointed that she has had to take her belt on the road. After beating German Jennifer Retzke in Berlin in November to win her title, Smith had hopes of mounting the first defence of a women's title in New Zealand.
But finding a backer has proved impossible - women's boxing is obviously not a comfortable fit with business.
"People are more inclined to want to watch Sonny Bill Williams and David Tua and I can't really blame them but I've received a lot of emails and Facebook messages from people I've never met congratulating me and asking if they can watch my next fight on TV," she said.
"There are some serious expenses involved in financing a world title fight - sanctioning fees to the IMF among other things - so basically it doesn't look like I'll ever get to defend my world title in New Zealand simply because there's no-one here willing to back a female fighter," she said.
Smith can't even find a major sponsor to help her defray her lost earnings as she piles the hours into her training regime.
The South African promoter is footing the bill for the title fight and even if Smith's purse is "nothing spectacular" - it's not the money that's important to her - it is all about the boxing.
She will have six days before the fight to acclimatise to the rarefied air of the high veldt after she arrives on June 5 but believes that will be enough time to make her final preparations. Her training with former New Zealand Sevens star Karl Te Nana and former Warrior Monty Betham has her in great condition.
Smith is expecting a tough fight from her opponent although she has yet to see any video footage of Tenge.
"I know pretty much as much about her as I knew about my last opponent - virtually nothing," she said.
Tenge has a reputation for being a hard-hitter. Nicknamed She Bee Stingin, Tenge, 10-1-1, has eight wins by knockout.
"I am approaching this fight if it is the last fight of my life, I'll be giving it all I've got and I'm at the peak physical condition of my life,I've never been this fit," she said.