Two Northland boxers have earned spots in the top 10 of the first International Boxing Federation (IBF) women’s world rankings.

The IBF’s list of rankings for its various women’s divisions has Pipiwai boxer Lani Daniels at No 1 in the heavyweight division, while Kaitāia’s Mea Motu is ranked No 10 in the junior featherweight division.

The rankings put both boxers in line for IBF title fights.

Daniels is part of a history-making bout on May 27 for the IBF Heavyweight title against fellow Kiwi Alrie Meleisea – the first world title fight between two New Zealand boxers.

And Motu, who claimed her first international title in November in Dubai, is also on the rise.

In the sweltering heat at Dubai’s Hilton Palm Jumeirah, Motu captured the WBC Asia Super Bantamweight belt after overcoming Iran’s Nastaran Fathi via a split decision.

The final scorecards read 77-75, 77-76 for Motu, with one judge scoring the contest 77-75 for Fathi. The win took Motu’s record to 15-0, six by KO, as she handed the previously-undefeated Iranian the first loss of her career.

The explosive eight-round encounter won the Fight of the Night award, with both fighters giving everything they had, knowing that the title and a WBC world ranking were on the line.

The high IBF ranking means Motu is now rated highly by two of the four world boxing bodies and will no doubt see her being called out for fights against the world’s best in her division.

The organisation’s first women’s world champion was crowned in 2010 when another Northlander, Daniella Smith, won the first IBF world title. The IBF instituted women’s rankings in April 2011. However, not all divisions in the women’s rankings were recognised throughout the years.

At the weekend the IBF Heavyweight ranking was introduced because of the May 27 world heavyweight title fight between Daniels and Meleisea, which will take place in Auckland.

The current IBF Heavyweight rankings have Daniels on top with Meleisea second, while Oxandia Castillo of the Dominican Republic is third and South African Razel Mohammed is fourth.

Daniels is currently ranked highly across the board now with a ranking of first by the WBC, the IBF and Boxrec, and second by the WBA.

Meleisea has been ranked highly by the WBA and the WBC in the past but has not had a ranking position since her loss against Manawatū’s Sequita Hemingway in July 2021. Even though Meleisea has beaten Hemingway since, Hemingway is still ranked fifth by the WBA and Meleisea is not ranked at all. Meleisea is now ranked second by the IBF and third on Boxrec.

Smith will be inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF) in October.