{"id":605406,"date":"2026-04-15T09:56:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T09:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/605406\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T09:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T09:56:15","slug":"latter-day-saint-lani-daniels-seeks-another-world-title-deseret-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/605406\/","title":{"rendered":"Latter-day Saint Lani Daniels seeks another world title \u2013 Deseret News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Latter-day Saint boxer Lani Daniels will fight for a world title Friday on boxing’s biggest stage: Madison Square Garden.A New Zealand native, Daniels said boxing helped her overcome deep grief following the death of her younger brother.Daniels has found a “second home” with Utah residents who served as missionaries in her hometown in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Sports have \u201csacred spaces\u201d \u2014 those revered locales synonymous with athletic events across generations.<\/p>\n

For baseball, it\u2019s Fenway Park or Wrigley Field. In golf, Augusta National. For horse racing, Churchill Downs. And in car racing, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

Boxing\u2019s sacred space? <\/p>\n

New York City\u2019s Madison Square Garden. <\/p>\n

Famously located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the circular venue has played host to almost all the Sweet Science legends: Ali. Louis. Marciano. Frazier. Tyson. Utah\u2019s Gene Fullmer. And both Sugar Rays \u2014 Robinson and Leonard.<\/p>\n

\"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, trains at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

But on Friday night, those Garden legends will make room inside the ropes for an affable Latter-day Saint woman who enjoys a good scrap.<\/p>\n

And like those boxing greats that preceded her in the MSG ring, Lani Daniels hopes to make history. The New Zealand native will fight for the WBO\/IBF super middleweight title against reigning belt-holder Shadasia Green in an 8 p.m. MDT title bout broadcast on ESPN. <\/p>\n

Daniels knows Madison Square Garden\u2019s boxing mystique. And she\u2019s a self-declared boxing fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to move like Sugar Ray \u2014 but when I\u2019m forcefully punching, I try to mimic Marvin Hagler,\u201d she said, flashing a big grin before throwing a swift pair of jabs at an imaginary opponent. <\/p>\n

But don\u2019t expect the \u201cThe Smiling Assassin\u201d \u2014 who long ago decided not to fight on Sundays \u2014 to be overwhelmed by her historic surroundings Friday. Title fights are nothing new to Daniels. She\u2019s already held world championship belts in two divisions.<\/p>\n

\"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, smiles after a training session at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

And, as Daniels told the Deseret News during a recent Utah visit, she plans to walk out of Madison Square Garden with a third belt. <\/p>\n

But regardless of the bout\u2019s outcome Friday, expect Daniels to once again hold her head and gloves high, representing her family, her country, her Maori heritage \u2014 and her Latter-day Saint faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cLani is known to be \u2018The Smiling Assassin\u2019 \u2014 and she does indeed have a beautiful smile,\u201d observed family friend and Orem resident Caroline Kreutzkamp.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s her beautiful soul that you remember long afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strength in Latter-day Saint faith and Maori culture\"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, unwraps her hands after training at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

So how did a 37-year old Latter-day Saint Relief Society sister from a small Maori village find herself plying her trade on multiple continents and in front of global audiences?<\/p>\n

Truth be told, Daniels didn\u2019t lace up the boxing gloves for the first time several years ago with any visions of Madison Square Garden. She was initially just trying to get a bit healthier.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s been a weight management journey for me,\u201d said Daniels. \u201cBoxing has been a tool that I\u2019ve used to manage my weight.\u201d<\/p>\n

But her long arc in the sport is also deeply connected to family. <\/p>\n

For several generations, Daniels\u2019 family has belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand. She points proudly to her devoted parents \u2014 and a \u201cstrong line of women\u201d who were all devout Latter-day Saints, and proud Maoris.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe church and the Maori culture align so well because family is the core of it all. \u2026 We all go to church because we are all family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Daniels traces God\u2019s hand in her life, even during dark moments far more painful than anything she\u2019s endured battling pro fighters inside the ring.<\/p>\n

Finding comfort inside the ropes\"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, right, trains with her sister Caroline Daniels, left, at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Daniels was still a teen when her young brother Tukaha lost his battle with cancer. He was 11-years-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter he passed,\u201d she remembered, \u201cI kind of swirled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Experiencing deep grief, Daniels remembers doing \u201ceverything that I probably shouldn\u2019t have been doing\u201d to help fill an unfillable void.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to make sense of the world. Trying to make sense of God and if he was real \u2014 and why he was doing this to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

She began using alcohol and drugs. \u201cTrying to find anything that would make me happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniels remembers hiding those dangerous choices from her parents. She didn\u2019t want to disappoint them or compound their pain. \u201cThat just came from the respect that I had for my parents and the church. Because I think deep down, I knew (the gospel) was true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boxing would later offer Daniels\u2019 a lifeline.<\/p>\n

Her sister, Caroline, had started boxing and, on one occasion, competed in a charity bout to honor cancer patients. <\/p>\n

Daniels remembers watching her sister emerge from her own grief through boxing. The grueling preparation and commitment demanded by the sport doubled as healing balm for Caroline, physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just saw the natural high that Caroline had going through the process of preparing for her first fight \u2014 and I was like, \u2018Oh, my gosh \u2014 I want some of that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The younger sister decided to step inside the ropes and, in her words, \u201cHave a go.\u201d<\/p>\n

No Sunday fights \u2013 No Olympics\"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, takes a rest while training at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Most people are not wired for combat sports such as boxing. You volunteer to swap blows with another person. The risks are real \u2014 and adjustments must be made at, well, upper-cut speeds.<\/p>\n

Remember Mike Tyson\u2019s pugilistic words of wisdom: \u201cEverybody\u2019s got a plan until they get punched in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Daniels, the fighter\u2019s courage came naturally. <\/p>\n

But those essential boxing techniques \u2014 sitting down on punches, throwing effective combinations, slipping blows, aligning the feet and navigating the ring \u2014 have come to Daniels only after years in the gym.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m still learning \u2014 but I like the challenge,\u201d she said. \u201cI just love the science of boxing \u2014 countering what someone is coming at me with.\u201d<\/p>\n

After competing in several amateur bouts, boxing threw Daniels a left hook. <\/p>\n

She was ranked as New Zealand\u2019s top middleweight, positioning her to make her nation\u2019s Olympic team. But making the national team meant fighting on Sundays. So Daniels passed.<\/p>\n

She explains her \u201cNo fights on Sundays\u201d choice without a hint of sanctimony. Daniels simply decided it was the best choice. But it was still tough.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to fight \u2014 but I knew I shouldn\u2019t fight,\u201d she said, laughing at the memory. \u201cBut I was blessed that I didn\u2019t fight on Sundays, because look at where I am now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniels made her professional debut in New Zealand in 2017.<\/p>\n

As a boxer, Caroline Daniels spotted her sister checking all the boxes to becoming a skilled fighter. <\/p>\n

\u201cI always knew that if Lani committed herself to the sport 100%, she would go places,\u201d said the elder sibling. \u201cIn fact, I feel like I knew that before she even knew that. I would always encourage her, because she just had more of that natural ability that I wish had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once turning pro, Daniels began the long task of building a record that eventually led to a pair of world titles \u2014 reportedly becoming the first New Zealand-born boxer of Maori descent to accomplish that feat in two divisions.<\/p>\n

She fought her maiden bout on American soil last July in a title fight in Detroit against Claressa Shields \u2014 a two-time Olympic champion regarded as the world\u2019s best female boxer. Daniels went the distance, losing the fight by decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the end of 10 rounds,\u201d remembered Kruetzkamp, \u201cLani had won (the fans\u2019) hearts with her determination, skill and sportsmanship.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the fight, a long line that reportedly included Muhammad Ali\u2019s wife soon formed to collect an autograph from the Latter-day Saint athlete.<\/p>\n

Never alone \u2014 in a lonely sport \"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, trains at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Boxing is perhaps the quintessential individual sport. It\u2019s lonesome.<\/p>\n

And when Daniels answers the opening bell Friday at Madison Square Garden, she will be on her own. She can\u2019t pass the gloves to teammates when things get rough. They can\u2019t be found.<\/p>\n

But Daniels never feels alone during a bout. She only has to glance to her corner to find big sister Caroline. And she can\u2019t forget she is fighting on behalf of her family, her faith, her nation and her people.<\/p>\n

She admits sometimes feeling the weight of those representations. \u201cBut I also feel like I\u2019m getting better at dealing with it or holding it. I feel like my shoulders have gotten stronger because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniels added that she\u2019s \u201cblessed\u201d for doing exactly what she\u2019s meant to be doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat gives me faith and strength to do what I need to do,\u201d said Daniels, looking ahead to Friday\u2019s fight. \u201cI\u2019m actually excited. I\u2019m excited to go and just keep learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, takes a rest while training at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Praying before her fights keeps her connected to loved ones and fans that she knows are uttering invocations on her behalf. \u201cI always pray; it\u2019s a comforting thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her father, Mike Daniels, taught his daughter to seek divine assistance before each of her fights.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a protection over not just me, but my opponent as well,\u201d she said. \u201cYes, we\u2019re there to take each other\u2019s heads off, I suppose. But at the end of the day, once the last bell has rung, I have nothing but respect for my opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boxer\u2019s concern for others isn\u2019t limited to the fellow fighters. When not competing, Daniels works as a mental health nurse, caring for teens and children battling one their own unique fights.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work that I do with our kids just aligns so well with boxing. It feels like it\u2019s all entangled together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She has also worked in New Zealand to support suicide awareness and Maori gang-prevention efforts.<\/p>\n

After Friday\u2019s fight Daniels isn\u2019t certain of her next boxing decision. But she knows she will keep serving her community. \u201cI want to do more of that kind of work \u2014 and show our people that we can still succeed regardless of the challenges that we face in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

A world champ \u2014 with Utahns in her corner\"\"Caroline Kreutzkamp watches world boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, train at her home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Allen and Caroline Kreutzkamp became acquainted with Daniels and her family in 2023 while serving as Latter-day Saint missionaries in Pipiwai, New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Since then, the couple\u2019s connection to the boxer and her relatives has grown beyond friendship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Maori word for family is \u2018whanau\u2019,\u201d said Caroline Kreutzkamp. \u201cThese are not just our friends or neighbors, they are family. Whanau.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Kreutzkamps\u2019 Orem home becomes something of a base camp for Daniels and her sister when the fight game brings them to the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just so grateful that we have them supporting us. And not just me, but my family,\u201d Daniels said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Caroline Daniels, left, smiles at her sister world boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, right, after training with her at their friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n

At first glance, the Kreutzkamps\u2019 inviting residence doesn\u2019t appear like it could double as a boxing gym. But with a bit of equipment and ingenuity, the two sisters transform the backyard into a boxing training ground.<\/p>\n

The Kreutzkamps say their admiration for Daniels stretches beyond prizefighting prowess.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the ring after Lani\u2019s fights, and in all sincerity and humility, she thanks her Heavenly Father first,\u201d said Caroline Kreutzkamp.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s not like in, say, Hollywood, where they do it for show. She sincerely means it when she thanks her Heavenly Father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"World boxing champion Lani Daniels, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, smiles after a training session with her sister Caroline Daniels, back left, at her friend Caroline Kreutzkamp\u2019s home in Orem on Friday, April 10, 2026. Daniels\u2019 next fight is at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 17, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Latter-day Saint boxer Lani Daniels will fight for a world title Friday on boxing’s biggest stage: Madison Square…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":605407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[447],"tags":[703,49,48,13137,82],"class_list":["post-605406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-boxing","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-news-feed-national","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=605406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/605407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=605406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=605406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=605406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}