Northland’s world boxing champs - Kaitāia’s Mea Motu and Whangārei’s Lani Daniels - hope to have a world title fight double bill in Whangārei in December if the community gets behind the idea.
Northland’s world boxing champs - Kaitāia’s Mea Motu and Whangārei’s Lani Daniels - hope to have a world title fight double bill in Whangārei in December if the community gets behind the idea.
Northland’s two world boxing champs - Kaitāia’s Mea Motu and Whangārei’s Lani Daniels - hope to fight in a world title double-header in Whangārei, if enough community and business sport can be gathered.
Boxing promoter Dean Lonergan has been in Whangārei this week meeting business, community, iwi and civic leaders to gauge support for Motu and Daniels to defend their titles at McKay Stadium on December 2.
Lonergan told the Northern Advocate that based on feedback so far he did not think there was a lack of support for the fight, it just needed final commitments.
Motu won the IBO super bantamweight world title in April and Daniels won the IBF heavyweight world title in May. Both women put their titles on the line in a double-header at Eventfinda Stadium on Auckland’s North Shore on August 26.
But promoter Lonergan is already looking ahead at the next fights for the pair and has pencilled in McKay Stadium for December 2.
He said so far he has had positive feedback from those he has met with and he was surprised at just how vibrant Whangārei and its business community were.
‘’I think a double-header world title night in Whangārei would do really well and would bring the country’s and the world’s attention to Northland. I predict that Mea and Lani will become the country’s most recognisable female athletes in the coming years,’’ he said.
‘’They are both wonderful role models, who came from harsh backgrounds, to achieve at the top of their chosen sport and they are an example that no matter where you come from, no matter what your background, if you work hard and believe in yourself, you can excel.’’
IBF heavyweight world champion Lani Daniels, pictured during her fight against Alrie Meleisea in May, hopes to have a world title double-header with Mea Motu in her hometown of Whangārei in December.
Lonergan said both his and the fighters’ dream for the longer term was to hold a big world title double-header at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei, outdoors in front of 10,000 fans next year.
‘’I know a lot of people will say that’s not possible, to do that here. But they said that when I said I’d get [boxing legend] Manny Pacquiao to fight Jeff Horn in Brisbane in 2017. It ended up getting 51,000 into Suncorp Stadium to watch it and it was Australia’s biggest ever fight,’’ he said.
‘’But first we have to get this fight at McKay Stadium locked in and successful and I’ve got to convince the local business community to get behind it and show that it’s good value for money for them to do so.’’
Lonergan said both fighters were wonderful inspirations to people, particularly women, around the country and the depth of feeling about them was evident when both had homecoming parades after winning their title bouts. Pipiwai, Daniel’s home settlement, turned out in force to celebrate her win, as did Kaitāia to honour Motu.
‘’That shows just how much people care about these two amazing fighters and amazing women. They have overcome so much to get to the peak of the game and they are determined to continue inspiring people into the future through their actions in the ring.’’
Kaitāia’s Mea Motu defeated Canada's Tania Walters to win the IBO super bantamweight world title in April.
Motu told the Northern Advocate she has been pushing to get a title bout in Northland and hoped the plan would come together.
She said she’d love to be able to fight in her home region and have all her family. friends and supporters in the stadium supporting her.
‘’That would be amazing,’’ Motu said.
Lonergan said one of the reasons so many Northlanders are behind the two fighters is that they can see themselves in them.
‘’They are both from humble beginnings, they have both experienced adversity, and both have risen above that and are achieving at the pinnacle of their sport. People look at Lani and Mea and know that anything is possible.’’
If the fight night happens it will be the biggest boxing event held in Northland and Lonergan is keen for anybody interested in getting behind the plan to get in touch.
