IBF and Ring cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will take on replacement IBF number 10 ranked opponent David Nyika on January 8 on a Matchroom promoted card at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach. Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that Nyika will be Opetaia's opponent.
2020 Olympic bronze medalist Nyika (10-0, 9 KOs) will replace IBF #1 Huseyin Cinkara on short notice. Due to an ankle injury, Cinkra withdrew from the August fight against Opetaija.
The repeater can break
Niyika must follow Mairis Briedis' blueprint of giving Opetaija nightmares with constant pressure. In their second fight, we saw that Opetaia hates being pressured and lets loose when he starts taking facial injuries. Briedis exposed Opetaia in a lost attempt.
A three-year professional, Niyika, 29, is doing even better because she is from New Zealand, which makes it more interesting for Opetaia's Australian fans, as the two countries are close. The fight will play out well with the Australians and New Zealanders.
“I trained hard for this card, and when the opportunity arose to face Jaie, I jumped,” Nyika told Things.co.nz. “This is the moment every fighter dreams of and I have the whole nation of New Zealand behind me.
“I know how strong Jai is, but I'm ready for this challenge. This is my chance to change my life and leave it all in the ring.”
Buffalo challenge
It will be interesting to see how Niyika handles the power, speed and buffalo skills of Jai Opetaia. Since turning pro in 2021, he's been battling rudimentary opposition. At the 2020 Olympics, Niyika was defeated by Russia's Muslim Gadzhimagomedov 4-1. It wasn't close.
Most recently, Niyika defeated 38-year-old assistant Tommy Karpency by third-round knockout on September 15. It is unclear why Niyika's management did not move him at a faster pace, given his extensive amateur experience. It's a waste of time to bring in a former amateur star like Niyika slowly was. He should have already fought the assassins.
In the three years he's been in the game, he's gotten nothing but a top-10 finish with the IBF and a title shot as a replacement opponent. Without it, it's possible that Niyika would be spinning its wheels, toiling in obscurity for the next three to five years, just getting old.
There are no real big names in the weight class other than Jai Opetaia, but he is not a household name in most of the world. The division needs bigger names and fighters who can sell. Either way, Opetaia vs. Niyika will do well in their respective countries.
What a fight – Australia v New Zealand locked in!!!! Great respect for @DavidNyika for reinforcement and you know what @jaiopetaia1 is all about! See you on the Gold Coast on January 8th! @daznboxing #OpetaiaNyika @tasmanfighters 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/oF356wY2Zo
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) December 18, 2024
January 8 DAZN Card
Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika
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Ben Mahoney vs. Fan Zhang
Austin Aokuso vs. Habib Ahmed
Max McIntyre vs. Abdulsalam Saman
Billy McAllister vs. Jordan Towns