Boxing: Patience pays off for David Nyika as road towards cruiserweight title set to resume in Auckland

David Nyika claimed the IBF Intercontinental cruiserweight title last month to break into the top-15 rankings. Photo / DAZN Boxing, Photosport

David Nyika admits he has never been good at being patient.

He has, however, learnt the importance of being so.

In September, the 28-year-old cruiserweight boxer will headline a card in Auckland and kick off a new promotional deal which will see him fight four times annually. He will be co-promoted by Duco Events, Thornberry Promotions and Joseph Parker, who is making his first foray into that side of the sport.

It’s an opportunity that arrives at the perfect time for the Olympic bronze and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who has amassed a perfect 9-0 record since turning pro in 2021.

Last month, Nyika earned his place as a top 15-ranked boxer with the IBF, after beating Michael Seitz by fourth-round TKO on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s historic win over Tyson Fury, which saw him become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Now, with guaranteed fights on the table, Nyika can focus on working his way to the top.

“In a sport like boxing, if you’re not patient and if you rush into deals, rush into fights that you haven’t really prepared aptly for, then you can make big mistakes and the consequences are dire,” Nyika told the Herald.

“It’s a dangerous sport, not only for the sake of your health but [you could] lock yourself into a six-year deal that you don’t understand and you end up paying just to fight, as you pay out of your own pocket.

“I know guys that are in deals like that today, and I just feel so privileged that I that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the right people and be connected with the right people.

“It’s my job now to keep working hard and to stay diligent, stay humble and do all the things that I know I can do.”

Over the past couple of years, Nyika has been based in the rural Queensland town of Gatton, working under the tutelage of respected Australian coach Noel Thornberry.

It’s a move that Nyika believed has helped him on the pathway to being the best possible version of himself both in and out of the gym; embracing the pace and other benefits of small-town life and absorbing as much as he can from his training.

The September bout will be Nyika’s first in New Zealand under Thornberry’s watch, and his first since his professional debut in 2021, when he won by stoppage in fast fashion.

While the hope is that they will be able to get another top 15-ranked fighter to travel to New Zealand for the fight, both Nyika and Thornberry were realistic about the fact that might not be the case and so are hopeful of simply finding a challenge.

“We had a guy that was 16-0, 16 knockouts, that I really, really liked. The fighter accepted, his manager accepted, but his trainer wasn’t happy, and I’m not surprised, but that would have been a great fight,” Nyika said.

“I want a tough fight. I want someone to take me into deep waters, so we just need to find the right guy that the IBF and WBO will sanction for starters because the goal now is to work towards being the mandatory challenger.

“I don’t need easy fights anymore, but at the same time, I want to look good. I want to be able to put on my best performance in front of my home crowd because it’s been that long and my last fight in New Zealand was all of 23 seconds, including the count, so I owe it to my fans and I think New Zealand deserves a bit of drama and a big show.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.