David Nyika has been out of action since his KO win over Titi Motusaga last October. Photo / Photosport
David Nyika has been out of action since his KO win over Titi Motusaga last October. Photo / Photosport
The simple things in life aren’t lost on David Nyika.
The opportunity to wind down after a hard day’s work. The quiet hum of small-town life. The ability to punch an opponent in the face and not have unusual pain coursing through his hands.
In Gatton, a rural town tothe west of Brisbane, the Kiwi cruiserweight boxer has settled into a comfortable way of life.
The 27-year-old made the move last year to train with respected coach Noel Thornberry. He enjoyed the teaching, he enjoyed the area, and he has since made it his home.
“I’m living a very simple life out here. It’s so far away from the hustle and bustle, everyone’s so lovely here, I’m with good company – Noel Thornberry is really well respected here in Gatton, and we have everything we need,” Nyika says.
“There are no distractions. I’ve got everything I need to keep charging. I’m actually a caretaker at the apartments that I live at, and that’s a really nice escape from boxing and the slog. It’s been very therapeutic out here. The weather’s good, the people are nice and I’m very happy and comfortable.”
One thing that has been sorely missing over the last seven months, however, is essentially the reason for making the move - fights.
Last year, Nyika (5-0) made his mark on the local scene with three wins in the space of four months, with his impressive knockout win over Titi Motusaga last October adding the exclamation point to his arrival in the professional arena.
But since that bout, he has had to bide his time. In his struggle to find opponents, he’s been training hard and taking care of some minor injury concerns; quietly building up so he can explode for that eventual next bout.
That moment will come for the Olympic bronze medalist on Wednesday when he meets Louis Marsters (3-4) on the undercard of Joseph Parker’s assignment against Faiga ‘Django’ Opelu in Melbourne.
“I just want to get back in the ring and get in front of big crowds again, because you can forget so quickly what that means to you just [from] being away from it,” Nyika said.
“Once you get under the lights, you get that hunger again and you just want to get after it time and time again. It’s addictive and if you haven’t experienced that, you wouldn’t understand it.
“It’s a real rush. I’m not an adrenaline junkie, but once boxing gets in your veins, it’s really hard to get out.”
This will be the second time Nyika has fought Marsters, claiming a second-round TKO win over the Australian last July, and while excited to return, Nyika admitted this wasn’t his preference of opponent.
“He was the only one to put his hand up. Everybody else that we were offered or that were asked all said no,” Nyika said. “We were looking at a guy 8-0, one guy 10-0 and another guy 11-0, but there was only one to put his hand up.
“Full credit to him because he obviously has a chip on his shoulder and feels like he can do better. We know he’s going to try to take my head off from the opening bell, so I’m excited to see what he’s got to offer.
“I’ve been working really hard over the last few months to fix a few mistakes that I made against him the first time, so I’m looking forward to showcasing a slightly different David Nyika and I think it’s going to be a spectacle for everybody.”
Nyika is hopeful this bout will be the start of a fruitful period after initially eyeing a return in March only to have it significantly pushed back.
Over the next two months, Nyika is hoping to fight as many as three times, with plans already in motion to make that happen.
The bout will be an opportunity for Nyika to not only show improvements in his boxing but also show confidence in his body after dealing with bone bruising in his hands.
“I’ve had to take time out and to actually find ways around putting pressure through my metacarpals, but they’re finally there,” he said.
“I’m finally in a position where I’m not having any issues with the contact, so I’m pretty excited to just be pain-free, injury free and actually have fights looking very likely in the next couple of months. Next week is going to be an awesome way just to kick it off again.”
