David Nyika falls to scary KO loss in world title fight

By Liam Napier

Jai Opetaia retained his IBF and The Ring magazine cruiserweight titles by delivering David Nyika a brutal fourth-round knockout.

An hour before the Wednesday night main event a lightning strike sparked a blackout at the sold-out Gold Coast Convention Centre. Opetaia then harnessed lightning speed and power to finish Nyika, first with an uppercut, before a devastating three punch combination, including two right hooks, prematurely ended the night with one minute and 18 seconds remaining in the fourth round.

Opetaia started in typically aggressive, fast style by swinging with big bombs, though often missing initially at least. The champion continued to come on strong but Nyika surprised with his tactics by walking forward, opting to trade and hold his own, before Opetaia’s heavy shots started to take their toll and zap Nyika’s legs.

Such was the ferocious power of Opetaia’s punches, Nyika was out on the ropes before the final blow landed - the referee should have stopped the fight sooner.

Nyika then lay prone on the canvas for a concerning, extended period with medical assistants rushing to his side but he eventually regained his feet before exiting the ring with his team.

After the fight in the changing rooms, Opetaia and Nyika embraced to share a moment of respect.

“You showed a lot of heart. I was not expecting that. Honestly, thank you,” Opetaia said.

Nyika responded: “You’re a different beast, bro, I appreciate you. All the best for the future.”

Five months after headlining his maiden show in Auckland, many questioned whether Nyika’s lack of professional experience, having never boxed past five rounds, would be exposed in his first significant test.

Believing destiny may only call once, Nyika had no hesitation accepting the title challenge on three weeks’ notice – but he stepped into the ring widely written off, as a six-to-one outsider.

Opetaia, the now 27-0 southpaw beast, proved a mountain too big, too strong, too soon for Nyika at this stage of his career as he suffered his first pro loss in his 11th fight.

“David, thank you. He took the fight on three weeks' notice. He came here to fight; he gave me a dogfight. I respect that,” Opetaia said.

“All that lead-up, I thought he was going to come out here to box and play games. I respect that, man. He came out here and slugged it out. He wanted these belts and he showed that.

“I take my hat off to David. Thank you.”

Opetaia’s dominant victory, the fifth defence of his IBF title, with four of those coming by stoppage, underlined his status as the king of the cruiserweight division.

Billed as the return of the champion, in his first fight in Australia since upsetting Mairis Briedis to claim the IBF title in 2022, Opetaia celebrated his homecoming in style.

The win paves the path for Opetaia to seek undisputed status with a potential bout in May against Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight belts.

The final hurdle to becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion would be to unseat Badou Jack, the holder of the WBC belt.

After that, Opetaia may chase heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Nyika, the dual Commonwealth Games gold and Olympic bronze medallist, will need time to recover and regroup before returning to rebuild.

Tonight he experienced the true brutality of this blood sport but in going toe-to-toe with Opetaia from the outset, he dared to chase greatness and proved his heart for the battle.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission