David Nyika is preparing for easily his toughest professional fight on the undercard of the Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk blockbuster in Saudi Arabia with extensive sparring against Australian heavyweights Joe Goodall and Teremoana Junior.
Nyika — a Kiwi cruiserweight based in Queensland with trainer Noel Thornberry — will fight undefeated German Michael Seitz in Riyadh on May 19 (NZ time).
Seitz, a 31-year-old who has 10 knockout wins from 12 professional fights, is renowned as a hard puncher and will be a huge but necessary step up for Nyika, a man with a highly successful amateur pedigree with world title ambitions.
Goodall is widely considered Australia’s third best heavyweight behind Justis Huni and Demsey McKean, while Teremoana Junior has four knockout wins in four professional fights and will represent Australia at super heavyweight at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Speaking to 1News last night after sparring six rounds with Goodall and three rounds with Teremona Junior, Nyika said: "Sparring has been awesome. I’m pretty sure this is my best camp to date and I’m really starting to find my way in the professional realm. My body is adapting well to the training and the change of pace.
"It’s probably the best run of sparring I’ve had without picking up any injuries. I’ve been sparring with three fresh heavyweights on the trot and I feel like my ring generalship and fitness is as good as it’s ever been.
"Michael Seitz is a puncher, and having big bodies in front of me – I feel like I don’t have to hold my punches back as much. The big guys can take it."
Nyika, a 28-year-old double Commonwealth Games gold medallist and bronze medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has been sparring three days a week in preparation for a fight which could take him into the top 15 ranked cruiserweights in the world.
"The quality and quantity has been perfect," he said. "I was probably in fight shape last week but I was in New Zealand recently for two and three days and had a lighter week. I’ve just seen another increase in my fitness when I got back into it. I keep unlocking new levels and I’m really excited about showcasing that."
Nyika said he was relatively relaxed about fighting on such a big card. The Fury v Usyk clash, a world heavyweight unification title fight, was delayed from the start of the year when Fury suffered a cut head during sparring which if anything has increased anticipation.
"I have fought in front of big crowds on big shows before," he said. "I don’t expect this to be too much different, although the boxing world is so chaotic. Anything can happen, things change and drama can unravel – I’m just looking forward to the experience.
"Having my first international fight with Noel is really exciting. We’ve done so much groundwork for this step up in opposition. This is the sort of opportunity you can’t let slip through your fingers. I feel like you’ve only got one shot to impress the Saudis."
The Saudis are of course the new powerbrokers in boxing which means the need for fighters to impress men such as Turki Al-Sheikh, an adviser to the royal court, will be an ever-present for the foreseeable future because it has cut through like little else.
New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker’s recent victory over Zhilei Zhang in Ryiadh came with a rematch clause that is unlikely to be triggered because there is now an assumption the Saudis aren’t interested in seeing the fight again. Zhang has since signed to fight Deontay Wilder, another recent Parker victim.
Just as significantly, current cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia, an Australian, will defend his IBF title on the same card in Riyadh. Opetaia, a 28-year-old southpaw, is a devastating puncher and potential future opponent for Nyika should the Kiwi remain successful.
Parker showed the way by winning the WBO world heavyweight title in Auckland in 2016 and there is little doubt Nyika and his backers will be aiming for something similar.
Nyika last fought in New Zealand in 2020 – on the undercard of the Parker v Junior Fa fight – and is eager to return to build his profile. Backed by Parker’s manager Higgins and his Duco company, Nyika has a fight tentatively scheduled in New Zealand for July 27.
"Hopefully, I get plenty of my eyes on my fight on May 18 and the goal is 100% to get fighting in New Zealand and to reconnect with my people," he said.
Next opponent is as big as Africa
Nyika has raised more than $33,000 for his campaign to raise funds to combat malaria in Africa.
Nyika is pledging $10 for every punch he lands in Saudi Arabia, setting an ambitious target with High Impact Athletes of $100,000 raised with the help of supporters.
The immediate response has stunned him.
"It was a real swing in the dark in a lot of ways but it sounds like it’s gaining a lot of traction," he said. "I’ve had a lot of support on it. I truly believe in what I’m doing. I know it’s a good cause.
"I don’t fight for the love of fighting. I do it for the love of living, really. I’d like to see other people enjoy life too. Pushing goodness and kindness and charity in the world is a big deal.
"I think we can make a big difference and it’s something I could keep doing all the way to a world title."
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