Opetaia And Nyika Clash During Roundtable Face Off – ‘This Is My Roman Empire’

January 6, 2025
1 month
Opetaia And Nyika Clash During Roundtable Face Off - 'This Is My Roman Empire'

Jai Opetaia is looking to put on a statement performance when he faces David Nyika on January 8, as they clashed during their roundtable face off. 

Opetaia is the current IBF Cruiserweight Champion and Ring Magazine Champion. He is undefeated with a 26-0 record. 20 of his wins are by way of knockout. He secured the vacant title after beating Mairis Briedis in a unanimous decision. He made a successful defense of his belt when he defeated Jack Massey in his last fight. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, has already talked up a future fight with Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian has just defeated Tyson Fury for the second time to retain his unified heavyweight titles. Usyk has been undisputed at cruiserweight and heavyweight.

There are suggestions he could drop back down to cruiserweight to chase undisputed again. Opetaia would be in contention for that fight since he has the IBF belt. He is also a southpaw, making it an intriguing bout. Nyika is no pushover. He is undefeated with a 10-0 record. Nine of his wins are by way of knockout, showing he is a destructive puncher. He has stopped his last seven opponents, including Tommy Karpency in his last bout. But this is by far his biggest test, knowing a win would upset the apple cart. The pair exchanged verbals during their roundtable face-off. 

Opetaia Vs. Nyika

“I’m going to find out. Let’s go then. You’re opponent is never your enemy. I know David. He’s a good dude, but now he’s in the way. I’ve got so much stuff to take care of. So many people rely on me. He’s in my way of doing that. So, I’ve got to remove him. I have to win. It means too much. My life has been molded for these moments. He’s talking about destiny and a third-time lucky break. This is my life. I know no one else. Winning is my only option; keep it on your wall,” Opetaia said 

“I’ve done enough. I’m coming in with full confidence. I know what he brings. We’re coming in fully prepared for anything he brings. I’m coming to take your crown. I’m sorry. I appreciate you as an athlete and a champion. It’s my job to knock you off your block.

“You’re not the only one on my wall, but you’re a big part of my story, though. This is a huge opportunity and to have it brought back to our backyard is amazing. This is a dream come true, but a dream is just a dream until you pull the trigger. I train every day. I put myself in the best position to seize these moments. This is my Roman empire to beat the best of the best,” Nyika said

Full Card

Jai Opetaia (c) vs. David Nyika for the IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles

Justis Huni vs. Shaun Potgieter; heavyweight

Max McIntyre vs. Abdulselam Saman; super middleweight

Ben Mahoney vs. Fan Zhang; super welterweight

Austin Aokuso vs. Leti Leti; light heavyweight

Teremoana Teremoana vs. Osasu Otobo; heavyweight

Taylah Gentzen vs. Shauna Browne; lightweight

Xavier Fletcher vs. Freddie Doidoi; super middleweight

Tony Ingram vs. Runqi Zhou; super featherweight

Billy McAllister vs. Jordan Towns; light heavyweight

Albert Tu’ua vs. Kodi Shallali; welterweight

Jai Williams vs. Jag Guthmann-Chester: 3×2-min rounds

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