IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia and challenger David Nyika both weighed in at 199.5 lbs at Monday’s weigh-in for their fight this Wednesday, January 8 at the Gold Coast Convention Center, Broadbeach, Australia.
Nyika looked well defined, showing very little fat on her 6’6″ frame. During the face-off, the two fighters went head to head. It had a professional wrestling feel to it, and I was expecting some theater from the gate. It was the only thing missing.
Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) is the favorite, but Nyika (10-0, 9 KOs) has a real chance to win. It catches Jai at a good point in his career after his two tough fights against former IBF champion Mairis Briedis. It was softened. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
Hearn Hypes Opetaia
“David Nyika is here to fight. He is one of the best amateurs this part of the world has seen for a long time. He took the fight with three weeks’ notice. He sees something. I believe, but tomorrow night, he will meet with a animals in Jai Opetaia. This will be a brilliant fight,” said Eddie Hearn to DAZN Boxing today of Jai Opetaia vs. Weight by David Nyika.
“Sell him for what he is. He’s an animal. He won’t come out, sing you a song, and give you a happy face. He just wants to fight,” said Hearn to Sporting News Australiaspeaking of Opetaia. “That’s what Jai is. He’s a vicious savage. What you see is what you get, and that’s why people like to see him fight.
“He’s a real champion. When you say Usyk. I don’t see heavyweights who can beat Usyk. Maybe Jai can’t beat Usyk, but it’s a hell of a fight. When you look at Usyk who becomes an undisputed cruiserweight and then comes to heavyweight and become undisputed. That’s the same goal that Jai Opeptaia has,” said Hearn.
A fight between Opetaia and Usyk is still a long way off as Jai still needs to collect the other three belts before achieving his goal of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion. That will take a while. It might be better if Opetaia puts aside his goal and moves up to heavyweight next to challenge Usyk for his three belts. You can always go back to the division to continue collecting them all.
“If we can make that happen at cruiserweight, I think it makes the Usyk fight huge. Imagine the undisputed world cruiserweight champion fighting the undisputed world heavyweight champion,” Hearn said. It’s a massive struggle. He has to go through David Nyika. It won’t be easy.”
Nyika has a real chance to win this fight if he can hang on and get to the second half of the contest to start breaking Jai down with pressure. Opetaia’s face breaks when he is hit very hard, and he has those eye ridges that tend to swell when he is hit. If Nyika can land enough shots on those eye ridges, he can cut him down and possibly score a stoppage.
“I know he is a big favorite to do it, but if he does this, you have to focus on the other champions. I think the Zurdo fight is a brilliant fight. Find out on Wednesday, and the goal should be to unify the division,” Hearn said.
