Jai Opetaia stopped David Nyika with a vicious knockout on Wednesday, retaining the IBF cruiserweight title on home soil in Australia.
Opetaia stopped the New Zealander in round four, landing a series of shots with Nyika stuck against the ropes and putting the challenger down and out with a brutal left hook.
Moments earlier, Opetaia had floored Nyika with a left and right at close range, but the latter was quick to stand. With a minute left in the round, however, there was always danger for Nyika, and Opetaia stalked him in pursuit of a finish.
It soon came, with Opetaia’s left hook putting Nyika facedown on the canvas and in need of treatment. A few minutes later, Nyika was sitting up, as Opetaia applauded from his corner. The result kept Opetaia, 29, unbeaten, while he handed Nyika, also 29, his first professional loss.
Opetaia then used his post-fight interview to call out WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez, as the Australian seeks to unify the cruiserweight belts. But Opetaia’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, also talked up a potential clash with heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Follow all the fallout from Opetaia vs Nyika below. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE
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Jai Opetaia knocks out David Nyika to retain IBF cruiserweight title
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Australian, fighting on home soil, stops New Zealander in round four
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Result keeps Opetaia unbeaten, as Nyika suffers first professional loss
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Opetaia eyes unification bout with WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez
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Promoter Eddie Hearn talks up heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
13:10 , Alex Pattle
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
13:01 , Alex Pattle
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
12:54 , Alex Pattle
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
12:48 , Alex Pattle
Hearn: “I think Jai’s humble enough to not yet talk about the name of Oleksandr Usyk; I’m not.
“Jai is gonna pick up all the belts in the cruiserweight division to become undisputed, and then we want to push him into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk – try to become undisputed in the heavyweight division as well.
“You have to search for greatness, he’s good enough to do it. I believe he’s the only person right now, cruiserweight or heavyweight, that can genuinely give Usyk a real, real fight. But to do it, we’ve got to pick up every belt in the cruiserweight division first.”
Hearn then turns focus to Opetaia vs Ramirez, calling on the latter’s promoter – Oscar De La Hoya – to help get it done.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
12:45 , Alex Pattle
Eddie Hearn: “I mean, this is the most brutal sport of all, and you saw it up close.
“I believe David Nyika will be a world champion in the future, but not tonight. He came up against not just the best fighter in Australia, but one of the best fighters in the world, in Jai Opetaia.
“You’re talking about a very special fighter. It’s not just the belts at cruiserweight, it’s the belts at heavyweight. Huge future ahead.”
Hearn says Opetaia should enter the pound-for-pound rankings.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
12:41 , Alex Pattle
Opetaia: “Man, all that style s*** went out the window. That was a dogfight, and I respect that. He kept coming forward, he kept punching. Thank you, David. We gave this crowd a good fight.
“Ramirezzzzzz, I’m coming for the belts! I’m coming for my belts.”
That’s a callout of WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez. We knew Opetaia was likely to target a unification fight next.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
12:39 , Alex Pattle
Opetaia: “David, thank you. Man, he took the fight on three weeks’ notice, he came here to fight, he gave me a dogfight. I respect that. I take my hat off to David.
“F***ing hell, we love this. Hard work every day. It’s a team effort that makes these things happen. From the f***ing fighter to the trainers to the promoter to the manager. So, thank you.
“There’s always pressure, so we sort of thrive off that. Man, I’m just so happy with the crowd coming out here, showing love. Thank you all so much.”
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
12:37 , Alex Pattle
Jai Opetaia def. David Nyika via fourth-round KO (2:17).
And STILL the IBF cruiserweight champion. And STILL unbeaten.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie retains title with vicious KO
12:34 , Alex Pattle
Nyika is still down… He landed facedown, but he’s now on his back, receiving some treatment…
A few minutes later, he’s sitting up, and Opetaia applauds from his own corner. That’s a relief.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Cruiserweight title fight
12:31 , Alex Pattle
Round four
Lovely right hook by Opetaia, but Nyika takes it well! Again Opetaia lands heavily, though. Has he found his rhythm?
He burrows a right hand into the body, then targets the head of Nyika. Good output from the champion right now. Still Nyika comes forward, taking a deep breath.
Uppercut from Opetaia, then a left hand and a right off the break!! They drop Nyika!
Nyika is quick to stand, but there’s a minute left in this round…
Opetaia is stalking Nyika, landing hooks with the Kiwi on the ropes – literally and figuratively – and one sickening left puts Nyika DOWN AND OUT!
It’s all over.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Cruiserweight title fight
12:27 , Alex Pattle
Round three
Nyika is southpaw again, but Opetaia seems more comfortable when the Kiwi is in that stance.
Nyika reverts back after a good spell from Opetaia, in which the Aussie lands some spearing jabs and fluid combinations.
Nyika gets on the front foot now, but Opetaia hits him with a flurry of quick body uppercuts. Now a slower, harder shot. Nyika, the bigger man, clinches and wears on the Australian.
Grazing hooks from Opetaia at close range. Nyika switches stances again. Great right hook by the challenger, with Opetaia backed against the ropes!
Opetaia is definitely a step ahead, but this is a gruelling bout already.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Cruiserweight title fight
12:23 , Alex Pattle
Round two
Nyika is backed up early in round two, but he’s able to reverse the position and get Opetaia against the ropes, as he looks to arrest some momentum and get the champion’s respect.
Nyika is back in his orthodox stance, breathing quite heavily. Both men are landing at close range, out in the open now. Opetaia’s body shots look really brutal. He goes to the head now, and Nyika stumbles slightly.
He and Opetaia tie up again. They separate, and Nyika shoots first, but Opetaia lands harder. There’s some more phone-booth fighting, with both men attacking the head and body.
A pair of harsh hooks to the head of Nyika, but he takes them well. OH! Clean southpaw cross upstairs from Opetaia, HEAVY! But Nyika fires back well!!
What an end to the round! The rivals stare each other down. A smirk from Opetaia.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Cruiserweight title fight
12:19 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Nyika stands orthodox; Opetaia is southpaw. The cruiserweights look to stay light on their feet, bouncing up and down. Opetaia presses forward. Nyika with a fair few straight shots already. A couple of clinches ensue, and these guys need to be wary of clashing heads…
Opetaia digs a hook to the body but eats a shot upstairs. He covers up and stays calm, as Nyika backs him up to the ropes and unloads a few shots. Two heavy body hooks by Opetaia as he moves off the ropes.
As he often does, Opetaia is using those bounces to feint some body shots, seeing how his opponent will react. Body hooks from both men now. Nyika follows up by popping a jab upstairs, before skipping away. Nyika goes southpaw too now.
OH! Nyika is absorbing some heavy shots right now, and he looks a little concerned… It’s late in the round, though, and he gets to the bell okay.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Main-event ring walks
12:13 , Alex Pattle
Both fighters are in the ring!
In one corner stands Australia’s own Opetaia – 29 years old and unbeaten (26-0, 20 KOs).
In the other corner is New Zealand’s Nyika – also 29, also unbeaten (10-0, 9 KOs).
Nyika looked relaxed during his ring walk; Opetaia looked fired up.
Twelve rounds are scheduled here, with Opetaia’s IBF cruiserweight title on the line.
It’s time for the main event…
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Opponents share intense weigh-in face-off
12:07 , Alex Pattle
Will we see this intensity carry over into the main event? It’s just minutes away.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Main-event ring walks
12:04 , Alex Pattle
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre is a bit of a strange setting for a fight night; most fans seem to be sat around dinner tables!
Will they be standing for the main event? Let’s find out! The ring walks are upon us….
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Aussie can bring the unlikely ‘unknown’ that Usyk needs
12:00 , Alex Pattle
Oleksandr Usyk’s special brand of dominance is the type that can leave a vacuum. And while many, including The Independent, have urged Usyk to leave boxing with his unbeaten record and perfect legacy intact, it seems he will persist.
Few should doubt Usyk’s ability or motivation to do just that, but such a decision would bring a natural risk. His back-to-back victories over Tyson Fury appear the perfect performances with which to end his historic career, and there is no contender whom fans are demanding Usyk face, but a match-up with a younger, heavier hitter could be the challenge to finally blemish the 37-year-old’s resume (he turns 38 this month, by the way).
That was not the case against Daniel Dubois in 2023, but Usyk is two years older now, and if the Briton can retain the IBF belt against Joseph Parker, he may get his rematch. Yes, Usyk would be backed to overcome Dubois again, but the 27-year-old is a boxer reborn – and believes he was even denied a stoppage of Usyk when he landed a borderline body shot, which was ruled a low blow.
Overall, though, there is no great appetite for Usyk vs Dubois 2. Of course, that could change if Dubois vanquishes Parker with the same viciousness that shredded Anthony Joshua in September, but it feels like Usyk and boxing fans need something else now.
A sense of the unknown might be the solution, and one man can bring that. As Usyk eyes his future, it may well reflect his past, if Jai Opetaia is to make a much-anticipated move up from cruiserweight.
Full article:
Jai Opetaia can bring the unlikely ‘unknown’ that Oleksandr Usyk needs
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Main-event ring walks
11:56 , Alex Pattle
Some of the best photos from today’s event:
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Justin Huni vs Shaun Potgieter
11:36 , Alex Pattle
Round two
A well-placed left hook to the body by Huni, after he leans off the centre line to avoid a shot upstairs by Potgieter.
Huni with a right hook to the head now, and Potgieter is wincing – perhaps struggling with some damage to his left eye?
Huni senses a finish and corners the South African, who does not throw back as Huni pours on punches… and the referee has seen enough!
No complaints from Potgieter. His left eye is definitely sporting some bruising.
A quick win for Huni!
Justis Huni def. Shaun Potgieter via second-round TKO (0:33)
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Justin Huni vs Shaun Potgieter
11:34 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Ten rounds scheduled. Both men stand orthodox. Huni with a few jabs early on, while Potgieter misses with some hooks. The South African staggers slightly after a hook from Huni, but it might have been caused by a footwork issue rather than any real hurt.
Oh… but Potgieter is definitely hurting from these punches, a slew of left hooks to the body!
Huni with a right and left hook there now, but the latter is ruled a low blow! It looked alright to me, but Potgieter is granted some time to recover. Back under way, and Huni lands a cross upstairs and a left hook to the body again.
He’s got Potgieter backed up to the ropes, and both men are throwing with speed and intent! Potgieter lands a few shots of his own, and now he has Huni against the ropes! Not for long, mind you, and Huni is back on the front foot. Two hard left hooks to the head of Potgieter. And a right. The referee is watching closely…
Eventually Potgieter is able to grab ahold of Huni to stop the onslaught. More body shots after they separate, though, and Potgieter does well to reach the bell.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Justin Huni vs Shaun Potgieter
11:25 , Alex Pattle
One more fight before the main event! Twenty-five-year-old Justis Huni takes on Shaun Potgieter at heavyweight.
Australia’s Huni is unbeaten at 11-0 (6 KOs), while South Africa’s Potgieter is 10-1 (7 KOs).
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Max McIntyre vs Abdulselam Saman
10:56 , Alex Pattle
Round three
McIntyre is still largely content to wait for Saman. He’s trying to time a counter uppercut when he can. In one exchange, the Aussie uses his taller frame and holds Saman’s head, landing an uppercut in close. Otherwise, it’s somewhat of a pedestrian round.
Round four
Saman loads up big on a southpaw cross but only finds the chest of McIntyre. Anyway, it spurs McIntyre on and he shows off more aggression than at any other point in this fight – and it pays off!
He drops Saman to his knees with a left hook, and although the Turkish boxer is quickly back up, he’s clearly a bit shaken… Another blitz from McIntyre, and Saman is hurt again; a body shot drops him to his knees against the ropes. He rises again, but there’s one final exchange to end it: McIntyre floors Saman with a huge overhand right, and the referee waves it off!
McIntyre embraces Saman, once the southpaw is back on his feet. Good to see.
Max McIntyre def. Abdulselam Saman via fourth-round TKO (1:59)
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Max McIntyre vs Abdulselam Saman
10:52 , Alex Pattle
Next up, we have Max McIntyre vs Abdulselam Saman at super-middleweight.
Australia’s McIntyre is unbeaten at 6-0 (5 KOs), while Turkey’s Saman is 8-1 (1 KO).
Round one
Ten rounds scheduled. McIntyre on the front foot. Southpaw Saman staying light on his feet and firing back a counter cross. He tries another, but McIntyre effortlessly steps back to evade. The Aussie misses with a wide hook now, but he gets Saman to bite hard on a feint. Good head movement from McIntyre, as Saman flicks out a few shots upstairs. McIntyre, the taller man, is just a bit sharper with his punches – quicker and more accurate. Still, neither man landed much of note in that round.
Round two
A bit more aggression from Saman now! He forces a stumble out of McIntyre. Saman continues to open up here and there, with McIntyre looking for big counters each time. McIntyre could push the action more, to be honest. He does land a hard right cross at the end of the round, though, off the break.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Ben Mahoney vs Fan Zhang
10:32 , Alex Pattle
Round 10
Final round, and it’s a firefight! Both men let their hands go and land clean shots! Mahoney’s are the heavier, as expected. What a great end to a fun fight.
For our money, Zhang did the better work for a long stretch in the middle rounds, but Mahoney started well and valiantly regained some momentum late. It’s hard to say which way it will go. Any hometown advantage for Mahoney? Let’s find out…
Fan Zhang def. Ben Mahoney via unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 100-90).
That is wild. All three judges give Mahoney EVERY single round. No, no, no.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Ben Mahoney vs Fan Zhang
10:23 , Alex Pattle
Round eight
The lights are back on, and Mahoney – after those extra moments’ rest – lands a clean cross and hook to start round eight! He’s soon skipping side to side, though, as Zhang picks up where he left off. Tidy jabs from Mahoney as Zhang misses with a wild hook. The referee pauses the action and warns the boxers, I believe for leading with their heads… Back under way, and Mahoney lands two smart lead uppercuts, before adding a hook. Cross, hook, uppercut from the Aussie. Big round for him!
Round nine
It feels like Mahoney has become a bit more economical with his technique in the last couple of rounds. He’s not forcing his punches or loading up on them too much – for the most part, anyway. It’s like he’s trying to tease shots out of Zhang with half-cooked punches, before turning up the heat in select moments. For Zhang, not much has changed; his modus operandi is still: come forward and punch, or come forward and cover up. ‘Come forward’ is the constant, of course.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Ben Mahoney vs Fan Zhang
10:17 , Alex Pattle
Round seven
Mahoney with a pair of good hooks while – you guessed it – moving backwards. These are aimed upstairs, although he’s still throwing plenty of body hooks and those uppercuts to the head. He manages to back up Zhang to the ropes, but now he lets out a deep breath and backs off. Not a great sign. Mahoney misses with a series of punches as Zhang bears down on him. More misses from the Australian, but plenty of activity…
What’s this?? Before round eight can begin, the lights go out in the arena!
Staff are working on resolving the issue, but this gives Mahoney some time to catch his breath!
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Ben Mahoney vs Fan Zhang
10:14 , Alex Pattle
Round five
This is a spirited showing from Mahoney, who refuses to cower, despite Zhang’s pressure. But the Australian is starting to initiate clinches in this round, trying to get some respite. In one moment, he backs away from Zhang, who jogs across the ring to close the space. This must be exhausting for Mahoney, but he’s still throwing, still moving, still smiling! He’s got to hope some of his body work will pay off down the stretch.
Round six
Great round! Both men throwing and landing clean shots at close range.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Ben Mahoney vs Fan Zhang
10:06 , Alex Pattle
Round three
This bout is being fought at such a pace. Zhang is maintaining his pressure from round two, flicking out offence with high volume, but Mahoney is still landing the heavier punches while on the back foot. The Aussie is breathing heavily, now wincing under some of Zhang’s attacks.
But good work from Mahoney now! He puts together a slick combination while skipping around a surprisingly static Zhang. Mahoney looks to build on that, late in the round, backing the Chinese boxer up to the ropes. Zhang reverses the position, but he eats a heavy hook that staggers him! Was he hurt, or just tired?
Round four
Mahoney looks in a little trouble here, still going backwards and eating more punches than in the previous rounds. Zhang is favouring shorter, straighter punches, largely to the head; Mahoney is still picking his moments to fire off big body hooks and uppercuts upstairs. Mahoney is still very much in this, but the fight is trending in Zhang’s direction at the moment.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Ben Mahoney vs Fan Zhang
09:57 , Alex Pattle
Round one
Ten rounds scheduled here. Mahoney makes a fast start, pressing forward and sending out plenty of activity. He’s varying his targets, going from head to body with heavy offence. Zhang is able to weather some of that and push back the Aussie late in the round, but Mahoney’s hooks to the body and uppercuts to the head were the story of that frame. Some great step-back crosses to the head, too, with brilliant timing.
Round two
The only potential concern for Mahoney is whether he’s overexerted himself. And early in round two, Zhang is on the front foot, pushing back the home fighter and forcing him into throwing slightly sloppier shots. But Mahoney is landing with some of them – those uppercuts in particular are still working for him. He even manages to reverse the momentum for a while, pressuring Zhang, but not for long. Still, a close round, with Mahoney landing the heavier punches.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Ben Mahoney vs Fan Zhang
09:50 , Alex Pattle
Next up is a super-welterweight bout between Ben Mahoney and Fan Zhang.
Australia’s Mahoney is unbeaten at 14-0-1 (8 KOs), while China’s Zhang is 8-2-1 (5 KOs).
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Teremoana Jr blitzes past Osasu Otobo
09:30 , Alex Pattle
Teremoana Jr crushes Osasu Otobo, getting a finish inside the first minute!
Otobo went after Teremoana in the opening seconds, there was a brief clinch, then Teremoana showed his superior accuracy and timing in the ensuing exchanges.
It was a left hook across the top of the dome that floored Otobo, and he was counted out by the referee while on one knee.
Teremoana Jr def. Osasu Otobo via first-round KO (0:57)
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: How to watch the event
09:25 , Alex Pattle
The event will stream live on DAZN in more than 200 countries, including the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand. Viewers in Australia and New Zealand can watch the fights on DAZN pay-per-view; elsewhere, the event is covered by a DAZN subscription. Purchase a subscription to DAZN here, with plans starting at £14.99 a month.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE: Undercard results so far
09:20 , Alex Pattle
The first few fights of the day are in the books!
Shauna Browne just outpointed Taylah Gentzen, staying unbeaten and handing her opponent her first pro loss.
Before that, Runqi Zhou beat Tony Ingram via decision, Jag Guthmann-Chester outpointed Jai Williams in each man’s first pro fight, Billy McAllister stopped Jordan Towns in round two, and Kodi Shallali drew with Albert Tu’ua.
Next up, Teremoana Jr puts his unbeaten record on the line against Osasu Otobo.
Opetaia vs Nyika LIVE
09:00 , Alex Pattle
Jai Opetaia fights on home soil today, defending the IBF cruiserweight title against David Nyika in Australia.
Both men enter the bout unbeaten, with Opetaia’s record reading 26-0 (20 knockouts) and Nyika’s standing at 10-0 (9 KOs). Opetaia, who is the favourite over the New Zealand boxer, is looking to set up a possible unification clash with Gilberto Ramirez – and even a potential heavyweight meeting with Oleksandr Usyk…
Opetaia, 29, enters this fight on the back of a stoppage win against Jack Massey in October, which followed a decision victory over Mairis Briedis – Opetaia’s second win against the former champion. In fact, Opetaia’s first fight with Briedis took place at the venue for today’s title bout: the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
In the same building where the Aussie first became a world champion, in 2022, can he keep his belt against Nyika, 29? We’ll soon find out.
