David Nyika brutally knocked out as Jai Opetaia reigns supreme

Australian world cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia has retained his titles by knocking New Zealander David Nyika out cold in the fourth round of their bout on the Gold Coast early this morning.

It was a typically ruthless performance from IBF and Ring Magazine champion Opetaia, now undefeated over 27 professional fights, and his next bout will likely be a unification challenge, with a huge match-up against WBO and WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez, of Mexico, slated for May.

Nyika, who surprised Opetaia with his aggressive approach from the first bell and did land several powerful blows, finished the fight on the canvas after being caught on the ropes.

Having not recovered from a knockdown only seconds earlier in the round, Nyika was hurt by a right hand as his opponent looked for the finish.

Referee David Fields was unable to stop the fight quickly enough, Opetaia landing the unnecessary knockout blow - a powerful left hand - which sent the Kiwi unconscious to the floor.

The sight of the 29-year-old lying prone on the canvas was a worrying one but fortunately he recovered, got to his feet and was able to walk back to his dressing room.

The wisdom of Nyika taking this fight on three weeks’ notice will likely now be questioned but he had no hesitation in accepting the clash against a former sparring partner who was always going to be a huge leap up in terms of quality.

It is Nyika’s first defeat in 11 professional fights.

In the ring afterwards, Opetaia praised Nyika’s approach.

"David, thank you. He took the fight on three weeks' notice. He came here to fight; he gave me a dogfight. I respect that," Opetaia said.

"All that lead-up, I thought he was going to come out here to box and play games. I respect that, man. He came out here and slugged it out. He wanted these belts and he showed that.

"I take my hat off to David. Thank you."

Nyika, an Olympic bronze medallist, was relaxed during the build-up to the fight and promised a few surprises.

The major one was how keen he was to come forward and mix it with Opetaia, a notoriously hard puncher who now has 21 knockouts on his record.

Despite having a height and reach advantage which would lend itself to a more cautious approach from the outside, Nyika clearly wanted to pressure his rival and he did have some success.

The first round was characterised by a mutual aggression and the Aussie loading up and missing but he soon found his range and finished strongly. Nyika mirrored Opetaia’s southpaw stance at times.

Opetaia also edged the second round, connecting with a right hand near the end which got Nyika’s attention but Nyika came straight back with a combination of his own.

The pace and intensity appeared to take its toll on Nyika in the third round but he shook Opetaia with two clean right hands near the end, blows that served to only sharpen the Aussie’s focus.

With 1 minute, 18 seconds left in the fourth round, Nyika was down for the first time after receiving two short punches to the head. He bounced up quickly as blood streamed from his nose but was clearly in a vulnerable state and succumbed in sickening fashion with 43 seconds remaining in the round.

“That was a dogfight and I respect that,” Opetaia said. “He wanted these belts. He kept coming forward, he kept punching.

"Thank you David, man. That was a good fight. We gave this crowd a good fight."

Afterwards, Opetaia's English promoter Eddie Hearn stated Nyika was a likely future world cruiserweight champion but had suffered the misfortune of running into an elite boxer at the top of his game.

Indeed, Hearn believes Opetaia will not only unify the cruiserweight division but could clean out the heavyweight ranks too.

“I believe he is the only boxer in the world as either a cruiserweight or heavyweight that can beat [WBO, WBA and WBC heavyweight champion] Oleksandr Usyk,” Hearn said, to cheers from the crowd at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.