Jai Opetaia: “This is another step in my journey to greatness.”

By: Sean Crose

The lightweight division is one of the most overlooked categories in professional boxing. And while it’s true that fighters like Evander Holyfield have been able to claw their way to the top of the heavyweight division, more often than not, lightweights simply don’t get the glory of their heavyweight peers, or even heavyweights. light. Even Oleksandr Usyk, who dominated the lightweight division before dominating the heavyweight division, was not known globally until he got the better of Anthony Joshua for the first time in 2022. The truth is that hugely successful fighters and highly successful they were overlooked as lightweights.

This fact is no doubt on the mind of IBF lightweight titlist Jai Opetaia. With a record of 26-0, the 29-year-old Australian has been nothing but impressive throughout his 9-year career. Fit, fast and very strong, the southpaw beat all but 6 of his opponents over the distance. In fact, Opetaia has beaten some, if not all, of the top names in the lightweight division, including former world titlist Mairis Briedis, who Opetaia was able to defeat twice via unanimous decision. Opetaia’s last fight was a sixth-round stoppage of Jack Massey in October. Opetaia simply dominated.

And now the well-known titlist will face David Nyika 10-0 in Opetaia’s native Australia. Although not particularly well known, the 29-year-old Nyika has stopped all but one of his distance opponents. Nyika’s last fight was in September when he stopped Tommy Karpency in 3. Although Nyika is essentially a replacement for Huseyin Cinkara, who had to leave the fight due to an ankle injury, the man knows how to exude excitement. He will also have a distinct height advantage of about four inches or so over Opetaia when the opening bell rings on Wednesday.

If Opetaia wins when he faces Nyika, there will be questions about his future, namely his dream of becoming undisputed lightweight champion of the world. “This is another step in my journey to greatness,” Opetaia says of Wednesday’s fight, “to become the undisputed champion. But without doing the work on the 8th, all this means nothing. So I have to win.” He may have dreams, but what Opetaia really wants to do most right now is step into the ring in a few days. After all, there is business to take care of.

“I’m sick of these interviews,” he says. “I just want to fight.”