Latta ?gutted? by points loss

Sue Latta is blaming herself for her loss to Aucklander Danielle Smith in their national super welterweight women's professional boxing title fight in Auckland on Saturday.
It was the second time Latta had lost to Smith on a points decision, but whereas she was confident she had done enough to actually win their first encounter and was consequently ":gutted" by the result she concedes a slow start was her undoing on this occasion.
"It was probably as close to a draw as you could get and, yes, I was disappointed to lose but I could understand why," Latta said. " I was angry with myself, but I certainly didn't feel I 'd been ripped off."
Latta deliberately decided to take things a little quietly in the first round of the four-round contest, because the taller Smith had a definite reach advantage, and therefore she had to be careful not to get "picked off" by being too assertive in her approach.
But as it happened Smith did manage to land a few punches ? or touches as Latta described them ? and those early points were to play a decisive part in the final outcome.
"She didn't hurt me at all, but from a judging viewpoint there were blows landed and they counted against me," Latta said. "I wasn't too worried at the time, but they were vital in the end."
Upping her effort in the last three rounds Latta then gave every bit as good as she received and actually thought a strong finish might just have been enough to give her the title
"I wasn't sure whether I had won or lost?that's how close it was," she said. "There was basically nothing in it at all."
While frustrated at her defeat, Latta was quick to pay tribute to Smith who used her greater experience in the boxing ring to good advantage.
"She boxed very intelligently??she knew what her strengths were and she stuck to what she did best."
For Latta boxing has been very much a secondary pursuit behind kick boxing and it is in the latter sport that she will represent New Zealand at the world championships to be held in Thailand in about a fortnight's time.There she will contest the super welterweight division, and while she is confident of making her presence felt, she admits medals won't come easy against the calibre of opposition she will be up against.
"It just so happens that the class I am in is very strong at the moment, so it's all going to depend on who is on their game and who isn't," she said.
Success at the world kick boxing championships would be nothing new for Latta who already has a second placing to her name at that level of competition.