David Nyika returns to the ring on Sonny Bill Williams v Paul Gallen undercard in Sydney

David Nyika (right) will return to the ring for the first time since his knockout defeat in January.

• David Nyika will return to the ring on the Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen undercard in Sydney.
• Williams and Gallen, both returning after three years, will earn $1 million each from the fight.
• TVNZ may bid for New Zealand broadcast rights, potentially launching a rival pay-per-view to Sky Television.

David Nyika is set to return to the ring on the Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen undercard in Sydney – and a battle could be brewing for the New Zealand broadcast rights.

Williams, the former dual-code superstar, and Gallen, the former NRL and Origin enforcer, will clash over eight two-minute rounds in July.

Their fight is the best part of a decade in the making and will be set against the backdrop of genuine animosity, with the pair engaging in many verbal public exchanges.

Williams, with a 9-1 pro boxing record, will end a three-year absence from the ring, with his last fight finishing in a fourth-round TKO loss to former mixed martial arts icon Mark Hunt.

In preparation for Gallen, Williams is expected to train with IBF world cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia‘s father, Tapu.

Gallen, with a 15-2-1 record, boasts more boxing experience than Williams but also last fought three years ago with a unanimous points win over fellow former NRL player Justin Hodges.

While the 39-year-old Williams, four years younger, and Gallen are past their prime, they are expected to earn $1 million each, from a 50/50 split, in an event that will generate widespread interest across Australia and New Zealand because of their respective profiles.

After several previous failed attempts to make the fight, the length of rounds was the final sticking point this time around.

Traditionally, pro boxers fight over three minutes, but Williams requested two-minute rounds – the same length as Jake Paul and Mike Tyson in their money-making venture last November – which should hand the former All Blacks midfielder an advantage.

On the Williams-Gallen undercard, Nyika (10-1) will launch his comeback against a yet-to-be-determined opponent in his first fight since a brutal knockout defeat to Opetaia on the Gold Coast in early January.

Nyika dared to be great by chasing his dreams and accepting the world title challenge against Opetaia on three weeks’ notice but, at this stage in his career, the Australian’s power proved too much.

After four months out of the ring, which included getting engaged to partner Lexy Thornberry, Nyika is ready to resume a rebuild as he enters a two-month camp and plots a path to another cruiserweight world title challenge.

“I’m glad I’ve spent as much time as I have away from boxing and let my body recover and give myself time and space to recoup. That time has allowed me to process everything the way I needed to,” Nyika said.

“My pride took a hit; that’s the nature of the sport. I’m a very competitive person. I’ve never seen second place as a viable option. I want to prove to the people who believe in me that I’m as good as I say I am, and that the good guy can win.

“100% it’s going to leave scars, but this is what will make me a calloused war veteran. This is my life. I care about it. I work hard for it. The story continues.

“Gearing up for a fight is no small feat. It’s something I have to prepare for every day. That’s challenged me in a number of ways. I will never do anything halfheartedly.

“The world keeps spinning, we keep grinding. This has always been the type of sport where you gain a lot more from your losses than you do your wins – a lot more from your shortcomings than beating some taxi driver. I’ve had nothing but positive feedback from the fight. I have a lot to take away from it. I proved I belong up there in the big leagues.

“I’ve still got all the ambition to be the best and beat the best. It’s just a matter of looking at what we did well, what we can do better.”

As for the main event, Nyika is as intrigued as anyone by the outcome.

“It’s an interesting fight. There will be so much hype around it. I know how long it’s been brewing for. That fight is going to sell. Sonny is better conditioned, but Gallen is a steam train; he will bring the same quantity and quality every time.

“I’ve proved to everybody I’m an exciting fighter, one to watch, so the card is a banger.”

While Nine, via its subscription service Stan, will broadcast the Williams-Gallen card in Australia, the New Zealand rights remain up for grabs, with the possibility TVNZ could use the event to launch a rival pay-per-view offering to Sky Television.

TVNZ made its first foray into free-to-air boxing in 15 years when it screened Nyika’s second-round knockout win against Titi Motusaga on the undercard of George Kambosos jnr’s rematch with lightweight world champion Devin Haney in Melbourne in October 2022.

The government-funded broadcaster is understood to have identified live sport, specifically boxing, as an avenue to generate additional revenue and could therefore seek to use the Williams-Gallen card as its first pay-per-view venture.

Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010, and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.