Kiwi boxer David Nyika has spoken about how his fiancée Lexy Thornberry’s successful fight against cancer has inspired him to reach new heights in and out of the ring.
Lexy, the daughter of Nyika’s long-time trainer Noel Thornberry, recently announced that intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment has helped her beat head and neck cancer.
“It’s been a pretty turbulent eight months having survived a pretty intensive cancer treatment,” Nyika said in the Breakfast studio this morning. “We’ve got a lot to take from a pretty tough chapter.”
Nyika will take on Australian Floyd Masson in an IBF cruiserweight world title elimination fight in Auckland on August 8. The event will be screened live and exclusively on TVNZ+.
Nyika, 30, fought for the same title last year but was knocked out by rival Jai Opetaia in Australia after only a few weeks’ preparation.
The title is now vacant and Nyika is determined to make the most of his new opportunity fuelled by 25-year-old Lexy’s example.
David Nyika tells Breakfast that partner Lexy Thornberry has shown him what the human mind and body is capable of. (Source: Breakfast)
“Her bravery and her resilience is what is driving me now because you see what the human body and mind is capable of.
“Being her rock and advocate for six months… I know what I’m capable of as well.
“It’s helped with my perspective. Life is good but it’s up to us to make it good.”
Nyika, who will continue preparing for the bout at his Queensland home, added: “Training has been great. I’m getting into the heavier sparring now so we’re about six and a half weeks out and I’m in a much better place than when I fought for the world title last year.
“He’s a battled-hardened veteran,” he said of his opponent. “He’s proven his mettle but I don’t think he’s ever been in the ring with a guy with my boxing ability.
“It’s going to be a great fight and the New Zealand fans and viewers deserve it. Big-time boxing is back and the undercard is spectacular.
“You’ve got the likes of Hemi Ahio and Kiki Leutele fighting – that’s like the two biggest scariest guys in New Zealand boxing.”
Also on the undercard is former All Black Rene Ranger, who is fighting former Warriors player Manu Vatuvei, plus another former All Black in Liam Messam.
And Nyika revealed it was Messam who was in the inspiration behind Nyika’s “Nice Guy” nickname.
“People probably don’t know this but he’s where I got the “Nice Guy” from. I remember him coming into my changing room after a fight and he didn’t have any credentials or anything [to get past security].
“He said ‘honestly, you’d be surprised by how far you can get in life by smiling and being nice’. I’ve worn that on my sleeve literally since. That’s how I live my life now.”
The morning headlines including an unwelcome passenger hitches a ride on a prison van… a plan to rescue crew stranded in the strait of Hormuz.. and a baby goat named after the football goat Lionel Messi. (Source: 1News)
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