Australian Jay Opetaia will put his 26 match unbeaten record on the line against David Nyika on Wednesday 8th January at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. This wasn’t the original fight, but one that will still draw a large audience across the world, and at Tonybet, to see how Opetaia is currently operating.
The undefeated boxer was meant to face off with Huseyin Cinkara, but he was forced to pull out just two weeks before the fight after breaking his ankle. That fight may happen, but it’ll be a while yet before anything is agreed.
This contest is for the IBF cruiserweight championship of the world, and the fight will be contested over 12 rounds in the Cruiserweight division. This means the weight limit will be 200 pounds (90.7 kg) for both boxers.
Opetaia vs. Nyika: the scorecards so far
Opetaia vs. Nyika will be a nailbitter, that’s for certain! Oeptaia heads into this new-look fight as the clear favourite, having achieved 20 knockout victories out of his 26 to date. The 29-year-old made his debut back in 2015, and experience is on his side with 120 pro rounds under his belt.
In his last fight, the Australian defeated Jack Massey by technical knockout in the 6th round in their IBF World Cruiserweight championship fight at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.
Prior to that particular fight, Opetaia beat Mairis Briedis by unanimous decision in their IBF World Cruiserweight and The Ring Cruiserweight championship fight, which also took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
Nyika is also undefeated, winning all ten of his fights to date. More impressively, nine were by knockout. But the 29-year-old was late to the ring, only making his debut in 2021, and has only 27 pro rounds to his name.
One of these boxers will lose their undefeated record in the Gold Coast on Wednesday, and that looks likely to be Opetaia’s new opponent, who hasn’t had long to prepare for such a prestigious fight only four years after his debut.
In order to watch this fight, you will need to set up an account with DAZN, where you can watch the fight through their app or your smart TV. For those in Ireland, you’re in luck as the fight is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM.
Nyika, who has previously won bronze at the Olympics, is the clear outsider and his price is as big as 7/1, but there’s reason to believe this fight might last longer than the odds suggest.
Two unbeaten champions come face-to-face
Although expectations aren’t high when it comes to Nyika due to his standard and last minute preparations, the Australia New Zealand beef certainly adds an edge to this fight.
However, what is interesting to note is the fact Nyika has yet to see the sixth round as a pro. We’re not suggesting this fight will go the distance either, but the underdog is rather inexperienced in the ring in comparison to Opetaia as we’ve already established.
The late entry may have nine knockouts to his name, but his 2024 campaign saw him defeat unheralded German Michael Seitz before an out-of-form Tommy Karpency, who had previously been knocked out on five different occasions.
However, the New Zealander’s confidence is sky-high despite everyone being against him.
He said: “I’m preparing to shock the world on January 8th. I haven’t been an underdog in a long time but it’s where I thrive. I have always loved stepping into other people’s backyards and silencing their supporters and fans.”
“With a guy like Jai, you have got someone who is second to none with his boxing prowess and background. He has got everything in his favour with the form he is in. The way I have approached this fight is that there is no time like the present.”
“I feel like I’m coming into my physical prime. It is one of those opportunities where I couldn’t forgive myself if I let someone else take it.”
Nyika has also previously sparred with Opetaia, and he’ll know his strengths and weaknesses heading into the fight. Having taken “no time at all” to accept the fight, the outsider fully believes the David vs Goliath narrative will work in his favour.
Opetaia – the clear favourite
For the first time in two-and-a-half years, Opetaia will fight back in his home country and at the same venue where he won the title for the first time against Mairis Briedis. His IBF Cruiserweight title is on the line, but the champion doesn’t see it that way who will be hoping to win his 27th fight and maintain his 100% record.
Although Opetaia’s 2024 campaign was a success, it wasn’t without a few complications along the way.
As the reigning cruiserweight champion, he did temporarily lose his title due to facing Ellis Zorro rather than Mairis Briedis.
The reason why Opetaia didn’t face the Latvian was because he was injured at the time the fight was scheduled. Despite Briedis giving his blessing for the Australian to defend his title against Zorro, the IBF didn’t agree with the fight.
However, the fight against Briedis did eventually take place, with the title on the line once again. Opetaia came out on top, and with the Latvian a previous three-time world champion, this was some statement from the Aussie.
This is why Opetaia is dangerous in the ring and so short in the betting. He’s beaten everyone that has stood in his way, and for the Australian, Nyika should be a walk in the park now fighting in front of his own people.
Nyika – he really is the underdog but stranger things have happened
So, can the unexpected result actually happen? Well, Nyika isn’t a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist for nothing, and a big career is on the cards for the 29-year-old later down the line. His inexperience has been seen as a weakness, which is reflected in his odds, but perhaps the unknown factor about Nyika and his ability has gone under the radar.
This fight may have come earlier than anticipated, but the way in which he wanted to accept Opetaia’s offer almost immediately tells you everything you need to know from the Kiwi. He’s confident, ready and as mentioned, undefeated. This cannot be underestimated lightly.
For context, in Nyika’s last bout, he only required three rounds in order to knock out former world title challenger Tommy Karpency. He may well be nicknamed “The Nice Guy” for his persona out of the ring, but in it, he’s proven to be very capable – and isn’t one to waste time if an opportunity presents itself.
Yes, he’s had less time to prepare, but Nyika has worked hard to keep himself fit as he continues to showcase to the world he’s a serious contender. Let’s not forget they used to spar together, and so Nyika isn’t coming into this blind.
Nerves? Perhaps some, but judging by his comments in the build-up to this fight Down Under, it doesn’t seem as though there are any from his camp.
Sometimes, the best fights don’t feature the biggest names
So, by now we’ve established Opetaia is the clear favourite according to the bookmakers and in his own backyard, many are expecting the Australian to put on a show and clinch his 27th straight win in style.
The work he’s carried out in 2024 has shown how dangerous he can be – and although this wasn’t the exact plan, Nyika has given him the opportunity to fight back in Australia for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
The best part about this for boxing fans is that once Huseyin Cinkara is fit and ready, there’s no reason why we won’t see him step into the ring with Opetaia later down the line. Instead of one, we now have two fights to look forward to.
Yet if we are to focus on the here and now, the Kiwi isn’t making the trip just to hand a victory to his opponent. He may not have fought beyond the sixth round before, but he hasn’t needed to. Nine knockouts from his first ten fights is highly impressive, and he’s shown at the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics he’s a boxer with a bright future ahead of him, despite stepping into the ring later than most.
With the fight set to take place at 11:00 AM in the UK and Ireland, this fight is the perfect excuse to take an early lunch break and watch two in-form fighters put on a show Down Under. And for those looking to place a bet on the fight or any other major boxing showdown in 2025, you’d be foolish not to check out the latest odds at Tonybet.
The site offers you a variety of different markets away from who will win. Fancy either boxer to win in a certain round? Or believe either fighter will win by knockout? You can back all of these options and more at Tonybet. Head to their site before the fight and place your wager today.
