IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia has numerous proving to do in his subsequent protection in opposition to David Nyika in 13 days on January eighth on the Gold Coast Conference Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.
The followers enamored of the 29-year-old Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) jumped ship after watching his timid efficiency in his rematch with Mairis Briedis on Might 18th earlier this yr.
Blueprint For Victory
Most of the followers realized that they’d been unsuitable about Opetaia, believing he was pure gold after watching him steamroll obscure second-tier fighters. When Opetaia acquired in with the true factor, he seemed yellow in his rematch in opposition to Briedis. You can see the worry in his eyes as Briedis had been stalking him, and it was so disappointing.
Opetaia seemed scared after they began taking laborious pictures from Briedis. He resembled Dmitry Bivol in how he was working across the ring, being chased by the 39-year-old.
It wasn’t an excellent image. To make followers neglect about that picture, Opetaia should come to combat, keep within the pocket, and change energy pictures with the heavy-handed Nyika (10-0, 9 KOs) on January eighth.
Nyika has an actual probability of profitable this combat if he follows Briedis’s blueprint and places Opetaia underneath heavy, nonstop strain. Opetaia doesn’t wish to get hit. He’s not the identical man when his opponents stand as much as him.
Opetaia Acquainted With Nyika
“To me, it’s one other goal. It’s the identical factor we do each. We rise up and prepare. Yeah, for certain. That’s what I’ve been chasing for. I’m chasing for the unification fights,” stated Jai Opetaia to BoxNation when requested if he’s involved in preventing WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in a unification.
“I’ve acquired one other obligatory to handle [David Nyika]. It is a severe combat. David Nyika is from my neck of the woods. He’s had an enormous beginner pedigree. I’m anticipating 12 laborious rounds. It’s thrilling for the cruiserweight division. Yeah, we wish to get this job performed, and we wish to chase these unification belts.
“I’ve shared the ring with him [Nyika] loads of instances. We’ve performed numerous sparring. He solely lives an hour away from me. We’re locals within the space. We work collectively so much. So, this was all the time going to occur,” stated Opetaia about preventing a man from the close by territory to draw curiosity from Aussies and New Zealanders.
It’s essential that Opetaia stays on the entrance foot, assaults, and doesn’t retreat when underneath heavy fireplace from Nyika. To turn out to be a worldwide star, Jai has to face his floor this time and never again off when Niyka seems to be to have interaction. He appears to admire Bivol’s type of preventing, and that’s a poison type if the objective is to entertain.
This combat doesn’t attraction a lot to followers exterior of Australia and New Zealand, who wish to see Opetaia face WBA champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, Chris Billam-Smith, Leonardo Mosquea, and Cheavon Clarke.
The Briedis Shadow
There’s not a lot curiosity in seeing Opetaia combat guys like Nyika, Jack Massey, Ellis Zorro, and Jordan Thompson. I can’t say this sufficient: Opetaia did NOT look good in his rematch in opposition to 39-year-old Mairis Briedis on Might 18th earlier this yr. He fought timidly in opposition to Briedis, working across the ring after he began taking facial harm.
When followers noticed Opetaia’s efficiency, they labeled him a hype job, and he’s performed nothing since to show them unsuitable. Opetaia doesn’t like getting hit and can exit of his option to keep away from punishment when dealing with somebody prepared to face as much as him, as Briedis did.
