IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia and challenger David Nyika both weighed in at 199.5lbs at Monday’s weigh-in for their fight on Wednesday, January 8, at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Australia.
Nyika looked well defined, showing very little fat on his 6’6” frame. During the confrontation, the two fighters clashed with each other. It had the feel of professional wrestling and I was expecting some theatrics from the gate. That was the only thing missing.
Opetaia (26-0, 20 KO) is the favorite, but Nyika (10-0, 9 KO) has a realistic chance to win. He caught Jai at a good time in his career after his two grueling fights against former IBF champion Mairis Briedis. He 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 in a long time. He received the fight three weeks in advance. He sees something. He believes, but tomorrow night he will face the animal in Jai Opetaija. This will be a brilliant fight,” Eddie Hearn told DAZN boxing at today’s Jai Opetai vs. David Nyika weigh-in.
»You are selling what he is. He is an animal. They will not come out, sing you a song and make your face happy. He just wants to fight,” Hearn said Sports News Australiaspeaking of Opetaia. “That’s what Jai is. He is a vicious savage. What you see is what you get, and that’s why people love to watch him fight.
“He is a true champion. When you say Usyk. I don’t see any heavyweight who can beat Usyk. Maybe Jai can’t beat Usyk, but the fight is hell. When you look at how Usyk becomes the undisputed cruiserweight and then comes up to heavyweight and becomes undisputed. That’s the same goal that Jai Opeptaia has,” Hearn said.
A fight between Opetaia and Usyk is still a long way off as Jai still needs to collect the other three belts before he can fulfill his goal of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion. It will take time. Opetaia might be better off putting his goal aside and moving up to heavyweight to challenge Usyk for his three belts. He can always return to the ward to continue collecting them.
“If we can do that at cruiserweight, I think it would make Usyk’s fight a big one. Imagine the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world fighting the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Hearn said. It’s a big fight. He has to go through David Nyika. It won’t be easy.”
Nyika has a real chance of winning this fight if he can hang on and get to the second half of the contest to start wearing down Jai with pressure. Opetaia’s face breaks when hit hard, and he also has those furrows around his eyes that tend to swell up when hit. If Nyika can land enough punches on those eye ridges, she can cut him down and maybe score a break.
“I know he’s a big favorite to do it, but if he does, you have to focus on the other champions. I think the fight with Zurda is a brilliant fight. Get Wednesday out of the way, and the goal has to be to unify the division,” Hearn said.
