Kiwi boxer David Nyika has reset his career after his first loss as a pro and still has his sights on a world title. MARC HINTON reports.
It takes a lot to knock David Nyika off his stride, to put a dent in that confidence and wipe that optimistic smile off his dial. Classy Aussie boxer Jai Opetaia tried his damnedest in January on the Gold Coast, sitting the Kiwi on his backside for the first time in his fledgling pro career. But it turns out the striking pugilist from Hamilton doesn’t just win well, he loses like a champ as well.
When Nyika hit the canvas in round four of his unlikely tilt at Opetaia’s IBF world cruiserweight title at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in January, knocked out cold after a flurry of activity early in a short but captivating contest, those close to him feared the worst. He had been smacked into tomorrow.
They needn’t have fretted. Nyika went for all the checks, before jetting off on a holiday to Mexico that saw him propose to girlfriend, and trainer’s daughter, Lexy Thornberry. He was symptom-free within days and a month or so later reported no lingering issues. A man who “takes my health very seriously” was undergoing a careful graduated return to physical activity, but all indications were he had bounced back well.
And far from being discouraged or disillusioned by his first pro defeat at Opetaia’s fast hands on the GC, the 29-year-old Waikato-raised, now Queensland-based fighter has got up, brushed himself off, and vowed to bounce back in style. He’s aiming for a June return to the ring and declares that the post-it note he scribbled with his intention to “knock out Opetaia” is staying exactly where it is.
“That post-it note doesn’t come down off my mirror,” says Nyika with a smile. “I’m still going to knock that dude out, man. Gimme a few more fights and I’ll be back to my winning ways.”
Nyika has no regrets about his decision to step in at just three weeks’ notice, when Opetaia’s original German opponent Huseyin Cinkara broke an ankle, nor his surprisingly aggressive tactics early in the fight.
“Jai really is the guy to beat [in the division], and putting my hand up and taking a gamble, was calculated,” he reflects. “I’ve had people ask whether I’ve been mismanaged. No. I was at the forefront of that decision. You can’t swim without getting wet. Sometimes you go in a bit too deep.”
It was a similar “calculated” approach around that bold decision to engage Opetaia from the off, even rocking him with some early shots. “I always knew the first 4-6 rounds were going to be tough. I was ready to go really deep for this one. It was a good fight up until the end. I was doing everything I needed to, but he landed a couple of good shots, and that’s the game.”
Importantly, Nyika, now 10-1 as a pro, and still yet to go beyond five rounds, remained confident this was a setback he could recover from.
“Nothing has changed,” he declares. “I felt bad for family and friends … I gave them a scare. I took that fight as a huge opportunity and a huge risk. But I have no regrets. It’s a learning experience, and a stepping-stone in my career. I’m so excited to know what I’ve got left in the tank.”
The Kiwi has a full recollection of the fight and watched it back a couple of times before his holiday. He’s moved on now but has banked the experience.
“I remember the whole fight blow by blow … it’s pretty cool because it actually was a really good fight, and it would have been a shame to lose that kind of experience. I remember everything down to the noise Jai made when I wobbled him at the end of the second round. I’ve never seen such a profound reaction to getting wobbled.”
So, it’s a “back to the drawing board” approach now for a fighter who has lost none of his ambition.
“This is another hurdle I will overcome. I’m sure there are many more sleepless nights ahead to move towards that dream again. That’s the game, man, what we play for – big rewards with high risks.
“I don’t want to skip any corners or rush anything. I was doing all the right things to become the fighter I know I can be. It’s about being patient and going back to the drawing board. It’s not always sexy, but this is what it takes to be the best.”
He gets knocked down. But he gets back up again.