Kiwi boxing sensation Lani Daniels and next opponent Desley 'Lady D' Robinson come at their imminent world title fight from vastly different perspectives.
The pair will share the ring at Whangarei next month, with the vacant IBF light-heavyweight belt on the line.
Daniels, 35, is already a world champion, after winning the vacant IBF heavyweight crown in May and defending it in August. She describes herself as a fulltime athlete and enjoys the benefits - and the pitfalls - that come with that.
"It's my job, it's my bread and butter," she told AM. "Like any other job, I have my good days and bad days.... my days that I don't want to get up, but I have to pay the bills.
"I'm training 3-4 times a day and in between that, I'm either doing washing, napping or eating. It's not much socialising – I'm quite isolated.
"It's actually tough. Sometimes I wish I was back nursing, because I could be at home with my family.
"It's pushing me to limits... I've been doubting myself this camp, which makes me feel I'm doing the work I need to be doing. Boxing isn't a pleasant sport, when you're in there, and you find that out quickly if you're not prepared.
On the other hand, Queenslander Robinson still regards herself as an amateur, working as a personal trainer and concreter on a construction site.
"Because I'm the only girl on site, the reaction is, 'Oh, that's a sheila... is that a girl on the tools?' I don't know any other women who do concreting or do what I do for a job.
"Because it's so hot, we all work with our shirts off, so the main question is, 'Do you train?'. When I tell them I do boxing, they leave me to it."
Daniels, who also has her sights set on a world super-middleweight crown, will drop down from her heavyweight division for this contest, while Robinson moves up from banthamweight, where she is WBA Oceania champion.
"It would be nice to kick back," quipped robinson. "I'd probably turn into a heavyweight, if I sat on the couch all day."
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