David Nyika has had a wild year.
In January, the Kiwi boxer fought for his first world title. He was also knocked out for the first time in his career.
It was the start of a year that would be full of milestones for the Queensland-based 30-year-old. He and partner Lexy Thornberry travelled to Mexico a couple of days after that bout, where Nyika proposed. They bought a house and Nyika made a successful return to the ring in July, before he and Thornberry embarked on a trip to Europe.
Soon after that journey, however, their world was rocked as Thornberry, 24, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
“Life got different pretty quick and we’ve had to kind of adjust in every way, shape and form, just to manage spiritually, emotionally, physically, through this difficult time,” Nyika told Newstalk ZB.
“But Lex is a monster. She’s doing so well. She’s become an inspiration for me. To keep fighting and to keep pushing forward has been easy watching her go through what she’s going through and I’m very, very appreciative of the opportunity to be able to ride alongside somebody that’s going through something like this.”
The pair made Thornberry’s diagnosis public late last week, about three weeks after the former Love Island Australia contestant received it. A crowdfunding page has been set up to help lighten the load on the young couple.
Posting on Instagram, Thornberry said she was set to begin treatment and that she made Nyika promise to continue with his career and not let the diagnosis take over their lives.
“I don’t believe in coincidence, and I think that everything’s happened for the right reason, but now we’ve got to dig our heels in,” Nyika said.
“The fight in January, like, that was a warm-up, man. We’re really, really going through the thick of it now and we still have kids to come, you know? We’re still getting married next year, you know? Like nothing changes.”
Nyika (11-1) will return to the ring next week in Gatton against China’s Wuzhati Nuerlang (17-4) as he looks to work his way back into world title contention.
The Kiwi, who fights under the moniker of “The Nice Guy”, is currently ranked inside the top 10 in the cruiserweight division with both the IBF (7) and WBO (8) as he looks to continue to work his way back into title contention.
“I feel really well-equipped for this. So, it means everything for her to support me through this. I don’t necessarily want to fight. I’m a lover, not a fighter. I love life, but if I wasn’t fighting, I wouldn’t know as much about it, you know?
“So for her to be supporting me through with my own kind of selfish endeavours is only going to make us stronger and make us a unique and well-equipped force moving forward. I know we’ve got an amazing life to live together and it’s important that we do the right things and that we get Lex the care she needs, so I’ll do whatever it takes to get her there.”
Speaking about how Thornberry’s diagnosis has changed his approach to training camp, Nyika said he had different priorities now and was doing everything he could to be at his partner’s side for “every appointment, every procedure, [and] every scan”.
Nyika had already been in training towards the potential of a spot on the undercard of Joseph Parker’s bout against Fabio Wardley in late October. While that didn’t eventuate, it meant he came into this one already in fighting shape and just had to maintain that level.
“First things first, I need my partner to be healthy and I need to be able to protect and provide for her. We’ve got a great team of doctors around us as well, as you know, a supportive family network and friends. The response we’ve had from our people has been amazing,” he said.
“But yeah, everything has changed. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, Lexy’s on my mind, you know? Like, I need to be doing everything that I can to make her journey through this chapter as comfortable as I can, and that’s taken top priority.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.