New Zealand’s Lani Daniels stunned the boxing world on Friday night, stopping the previously undefeated Shadasia Green in the ninth round to unify the IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine super middleweight titles. The historic victory took place at Madison Square Garden in New York on the undercard of a Jake Paul Most Valuable Promotions event.
Daniels, entering the bout as a significant underdog, executed a perfectly aggressive game plan to overcome a considerable reach disadvantage. She applied constant pressure, walking Green down and outworking the American powerhouse round after round. The tide turned decisively in the seventh round when a solid one-two combination from Daniels prompted visible concern from Green's corner about their fighter being outworked.
By the eighth round, Green appeared visibly fatigued under the relentless assault. The end came swiftly in the ninth. Green barely moved from her corner at the start of the round, and Daniels immediately launched a barrage of powerful right hands. With Green offering no defense, the referee stepped in to stop the fight, awarding Daniels the victory by technical knockout. Green required medical attention and was subsequently taken from the ring on a stretcher.
The victory marks a spectacular career turnaround for Daniels, who entered the contest on the back of consecutive losses. She suffered a unanimous decision defeat to undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields in July 2025 and then lost an IBF light heavyweight title challenge to Germany's Sarah Scheurich last December. Daniels has credited her remarkable resurgence to relocating her training camp to work under fellow Northlander Daniella Smith, New Zealand's first-ever IBF world champion.
Following the momentous win, Daniels showed her class and sportsmanship. "Massive love and respect to my opponent," Daniels stated in a post-fight interview with Sky Sport. "I hope that everything is well." Her performance was also rewarded with a $10,000 performance bonus from the promotion.
This victory propels Lani Daniels into the elite tier of women's boxing. By unifying three of the major titles at 168 pounds, she has positioned herself as a central figure in the super middleweight division. The focus now shifts to potential undisputed championship fights, with bouts against the holders of the WBA and WBC titles looming as the logical next step for the new unified champion from New Zealand.