Daniella Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahungunu)
The first IBF women’s world champion, is to be inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame this October.
2010 – IBF WORLD WELTER WEIGHT TILE – JENNIFER Retski GERMANY – WINNER
FIRST MĀORI & first women to win a World title from NZ.
2010 – IBF FIGHT OF THE YEAR – Winner – Presented in Los Vegas, USA
2010 – Ranked number #2 in World by BOXREC 66kgs
2010 – MĀORI SPORTS AWARD WORLD CHAMPION
2023 – first New Zealand woman and Māori to be inducted into the INTERNATIONAL WOMENS BOXING HALL OF FAME. LAS VEGAS, USA
New Zealand Boxing Titles:
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008.
Over four different weight divisions.
OTHER TITLES
2002 – Tasman Cup Winner – GOLD Melbourne AUS
Māori Sports awards scholarship recipient.
2003 – Tasman Cup Winner – GOLD Takapuna NZ
2003 – Oceania Champs – GOLD Tonga
2004 – Taiwan International Cup – BRONZE Taiwan
2006 – World Ranked Pro Fight – Victoria Cisneros USA – WINNER
2010 – World Ranked Pro Fight – Gabriella Zapata ARGENTINA – WINNER
In addition Daniella won multiple regional and Golden Gloves titles.
In 2015 Daniella retired from boxing with a career spanning 17 years.
2015 – Daniella coached 4 Māori athletes including Mea Motu, with all 4 winning New Zealand titles at the New Zealand champs in Invercargill.
In 2016 Daniella’s career pivoted from coaching elite athletes to working along the New Zealand Women’s refuge, running boxing charitable events.
From 2016 – 2020 Daniella’s charitable trust DIAMONDS IN THE RING raised over $200 thousand dollars. She also worked closely alongside the Mangere Refuge specifically, providing thousands of south Auckland whanau with;
- School bags & stationary
- Christmas presents
- Easter gift packs
- Pamper & toiletry packs.
In 2020 due to Covid, Daniella moved north to her hometown of Kaikohe, to support her parents during the pandemic.
Daniella is currently working for the Department of Corrections, running programmes in the prison and community working with Tangata on sentence.
