David Nyika after knocking down Nikolas Charalampous in a 2025 bout. Photo / Photosport
David Nyika is on the cusp of contesting a second world cruiserweight title after being ordered to fight an eliminator for the International Boxing Federation’s mandatory challenger status.
The Herald has obtained a letter from the IBF to Nyika (12-1) and Te Awamutu-born, Brisbane-based Floyd Masson (17-2) ordering the respective parties to negotiate an agreement to fight for the right to be their mandatory challenger.
The IBF cruiserweight title is vacant after the governing body opted to strip Samoan Australian Jai Opetaia – widely considered the king of the division – after he signed with Dana White’s breakaway Zuffa boxing last month.
Nyika, ranked No 5 with the IBF, and sixth-ranked Masson, are the two highest-rated available contenders to contest the mandatory challenger status after Opetaia’s move and with England’s Chris Billam-Smith unavailable.
The winner of the Nyika versus Masson bout is then expected to fight the UK’s undefeated Viddal Riley for the vacant cruiserweight title.
“Both [Nyika and Masson] have confirmed in writing their willingness to participate in an eliminator bout,” the IBF letter states. “Accordingly, the IBF is ordering an elimination contest between these two contenders to determine the mandatory challenger for the No 1 position in the division.
“The winner of this bout will be designated as the No 1 contender and the mandatory challenger. All negotiations must be concluded by April 28, 2026.”
Nyika, the two-time Commonwealth Games gold and Olympic bronze medallist, trains under Noel Thornberry in Gatton, Queensland.
Former IBO cruiserweight champion Masson is represented by Angelo Di Carlo.
If the teams cannot reach an agreement on whether the fight will be staged in New Zealand or Australia and the respective payments for the bout, the IBF will order a purse bid.
Nyika suffered his only knockout defeat in his last world title shot against Opetaia in January last year. He has since registered two comeback victories, against experienced Kiwi Nikolas Charalampous and China’s Wuzhati Nuerlang, but has devoted much of his recent time to supporting fiancee Lexy Thornberry as she battles head and neck cancer.
With Thornberry having recently completed chemotherapy, Nyika is intent on returning to the ring to pursue his world title dreams.
Nyika’s manager David Higgins will now attempt to bring the world title eliminator to New Zealand.
“That’s the job at hand. In boxing, Don King said what makes money makes sense. A fight tends to land where money is the greatest,” Higgins said.
“The Masson team will be looking at staging it in Brisbane, Australia.
“Jeff Horn fought at Suncorp Stadium and Jai Opetaia fought at the Casino on the Gold Coast. They’ll be running around talking to sponsors, government trying to mount a promotion on home soil. Our job, with the Nyika team, is to try and stage the fight in New Zealand.
“The IBF has given us until the end of the month to make a deal on where, when the fight is and the money.
“If no deal can be made they’ll order a purse bid which is like an auction for a house. We put a blind tender in and whoever bids the most wins the right to promote and stage the fight.
“The best thing for David Nyika would be to fight in New Zealand. We’re hard at work looking at how we can make that happen.
“It will take a family of commercial partners and sponsors. It would probably be the second biggest fight in New Zealand history after Joseph Parker’s fight against Andy Ruiz.
“You’ve got an Olympian in David Nyika at the peak of his powers against Floyd Masson who is a proper athlete. He looks like Conor McGregor but a bit bigger. It would be a meaningful world-wide boxing event on global television.
“If Nyika can beat Masson, which I think he can, he’s guaranteed a world title shot which could also happen in New Zealand.”
Despite the heavy emotional toll and limited recent boxing Nyika has endured while supporting Thornberry, Higgins dismissed the risk of this fight being too much too soon.
“Our hearts go out to David and the Thornberry family, they’re great friends of mine. It’s been a tough time for David, Lexy and the family but David is a professional boxer and he wants to be world champion. He wants to take this opportunity and prove what he can do.
“We must remember when David fought Jai for the world title, it was on a few weeks’ notice. This time, he’s having another run at it and leaving no stone unturned.”