Daniels Stops Green in 9th to Win IBF, WBO Titles

New York boxing fans witnessed a stunning upset Friday night at Madison Square Garden, where New Zealand's Lani Daniels stopped defending champion Shadasia Green in the ninth round to claim the IBF and WBO super middleweight titles. The 37-year-old Daniels, a decided underdog entering the bout, improved her record to 12-4-2 with two knockouts, securing her third world championship across three weight classes.

The scheduled 10-round fight, part of Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural U.S. card broadcast on ESPN, unfolded with Daniels applying relentless pressure from the opening bell. Despite Green's height and reach advantages, Daniels closed distances aggressively, landing combinations that forced the champion backward and into the ropes. Green, from Paterson, New Jersey, with a record now at 16-2 and 11 knockouts, responded with stiff jabs and right hands in the early rounds but appeared to tire as Daniels maintained her pace. By the sixth and seventh rounds, Daniels' subtle footwork allowed her to outmaneuver Green, landing clean shots that exposed gaps in the champion's defense.

The turning point came after the eighth round, when Green returned to her corner visibly fatigued...