“And he has already called out the champion for battle”, — write: sport.ua
Opetaya did not feel another opponent. It’s long past time for him to become champions
David Nyika from New Zealand became the next opponent of the IBF champion. The opponent appeared shortly before the confrontation. Jay was preparing for Huseyin Jinkara all the time, but he got injured. The fight with him was canceled, but the championship confrontation itself was not canceled.
Nyika is a locally famous boxer. Former flag bearer of the New Zealand national team at the Olympics in Tokyo, where he became the bronze medalist of the tournament. Not a superstar, but a boxer who systematically built his career.
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine Along with this, it is worth noting Nyika’s age – he is 28. Exactly the same age as Opetai, but Jay’s professional career is much ahead. Therefore, one in the ring was a favorite, a champion and a boxer who is treated as an authority. And the other is an applicant and even a prospect.
Three weeks was enough for both boxers to prepare. Already after the fight in the ring, when Jay was asked for a comment, they tried to change the emphasis – they said that both boxers had been preparing for three weeks, because Opetaya had a lot to change. However, this is illogical. The champion prepared in advance because he had an opponent. He only needed to change the emphasis of training and the battle plan. Nyika started the camp three weeks before the meeting – this is important to understand.
However, David himself agreed. He understood the danger, but he did it without coercion. He was sure that he had enough skills and strength to defeat the champion. This is a huge chance. Beating Opetaya would immediately elevate Nyika to the status of one of the division leaders, so maybe it was worth the risk.
And you can’t say that David started the meeting badly. He invented something different. Sometimes he changed stances, then he fought with an opponent in a clinch. He tried not to let his opponent fight, to put pressure on him with his weight and size.
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine The most interesting thing happened in the second round, when Opetaia tried to go forward, but ran into a direct counter. The champion’s legs shook, but he stood his ground. However, that was the end of it.
Jay just started boxing more actively. Hit more, put more effort into the shots. This turned out to be enough – N’ika was not ready for the opponent’s heavy blows, so he got more and more upset.
In the fourth round, Opetaia ended the confrontation. He hit the opponent with an uppercut, scoring a knockdown. And then he finished with a series of blows, the last of which completely turned off the opponent’s light. Deep knockout for David Nyika.
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine A cool victory for Jay, despite the fact that the opponent was not ready for this. He did it the way a champion should. When the opponent is weaker, the champion does not give him time to think and make decisions. He just knocks out the opponent, that’s all.
However, there is another side to this victory. Jordan Thompson, Ellis Zorro, Jack Massey, David Nyika and Mairis Briedis. How many of these people did we know before meeting Opetaya? These are good boxers, but are they that good? In fact, only Briedis proved his level before the meeting with Opetaia. And he gave Jay the most difficult fights in his career.
What now?
After the match, Eddie Hearn spoke about the unification and Usyk:
“Aleksandr Usyk was the best heavyweight boxer of all time. He became the absolute champion. He then moved up to super-heavyweight to become the undisputed champion there.
Jay is going to win all the heavyweight belts to become the absolute champion and then we want to get him a fight with Alexander to try and become the absolute heavyweight champion. You have to strive for greatness, and Usyk is a real and very serious challenge.
But to do that, we have to win every cruiserweight belt first,” Hearn said.
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine Eddie wants to drag Usyk into the ring at the age of 39-40, while Opetai will be 29-30. The plan is worthy of a man whose main boxer lost twice to Oleksandr.
However, Opetaya himself is in no hurry. Before the fight, he spoke only positively about Usyk. And then he challenged another boxer to a fight – WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Hilberto Ramirez:
“Ramires, I’m going for the belts. We’re after the rest of the belts, my friend. We’re going after them,” Jay said.
This is the right and good option. We finally get to see Opetaia in the ring against someone who has experience, youth and size all at the same time. So far, Jay’s opponents haven’t put it all together in one place.