Daniella Smith To Be Inducted Into The Hall Of Fame

The first ever IBF Women's world champion, Northland's own Daniella Smith will be inducted into the International Womens Boxing Hall of Fame.

This year the International Womens Boxing Hall of Fame is an extra special ceremony as it will not only celebrate its 10th year anniversary but the Women's boxing archive network (WBAN) which is known for the women's new website will also be celebrating its 25-year anniversary. Both are created by retired legendary boxer Sue Fox.

For the past 5 years, New Zealand boxing writer Benjamin Watt has been nominating Daniella Smith to be inducted into the hall of fame. Today he got to inform Daniella Smith that she will be inducted this October into the IWBHF.

The only downside of the event is due to it being a womens boxing event, the organisers don't get enough sponsorship. Daniella Smith will be guaranteed to be inducted, but she will have to pay for her own flights and accommodation if she wants to be inducted in person in Las Vagas.

Daniella Smith (Ngāpuhi) was a true trailblazer for women's boxing in New Zealand. Before making her professional debut in 2005, she was already a four-time New Zealand amateur champion. She also won the Oceania title which qualified her to compete at the 2002 World Championships in Turkey.

Just a year after debuting, she won her first New Zealand national title as a professional, becoming the second woman ever to win a New Zealand professional title. She won her second New Zealand title in 2008, becoming the first female to win two New Zealand titles. This was history-making as she set the record for most New Zealand titles for a women boxer which did not get broken until 14 years after she won the title.

In 2007 Smith was part of history when she fought the first-ever South African woman boxer to turn pro. South African Sandra Almeida fought Daniella Smith at the Sky City Convention Centre. Daniella Smith won the fight by an easy Decision. This is an important part of South Africas boxing history, not only for this debut, but also later in Smith Career.

In 2010 she received an opportunity to fight for the first-ever IBF World womens title in Germany. Before she fought for the title, she fought in a warm-up fight two months before the title shot against a former world title contender, Argentina Gabriela Marcela Zapata. Smith not only won the fight, she dominated her opponent, proving she was ready to take on the world.

In November 2010, she took on undefeated Jennifer Retzke for the inaugural IBF Women Welterweight title. Retzke had the advantage of being in her hometown in Germany. Two of the scorecards were very close, however, Smith knocked down her opponent in the 8th round which helped. Smith won the fight by unanimous decision becoming the first Maori world boxing champion and the first New Zealand women's world boxing champion.

In June 2011, Smith lost her IBF World title in South Africa against undefeated boxer Noni Tenge. Smith was again an important part of South Africa's boxing history, not only in 2007 but now for South Africa's first women's world champion. Daniella Smith had her final fight in December 2014 when she fought Gentine Lupi for the New Zealand title. Unfortunately, Gentiane Lupi won the fight.

Since retirement, Daniella Smith has become a boxing trainer for corporate, amateur and professional boxing. She is also a promoter for corporate boxing to raise money for multiple charities. In 2012 alone she raised over $150,000 for prostate cancer.

Daniella Smith has created a massive legacy for women boxing to follow. Without her career, we wouldn't have amazing boxers like WBO World champion Geovana Peres, IBF World Champion Cherneka Johnson, Northland boxer Lani Daniels and Northland boxer Mea Motu. Here are Daniella Smith accomplishments

Titles

New Zealand National (NZPBA version) Super Welterweight title (2006)

New Zealand National (NZPBA version) Welterweight title (2008)

Awards

New Zealand Maori Sports Awards scholarship (2002)

Northland Maori Sportswoman of the Year (2007)

New Zealand Boxing Hall of fame (2019)

Daniella Smith would finish her career with a record of 34 - 6 (Amateur) and 13 - 6 (Professional).

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