There’s never been any doubt about David Nyika’s in-ring ability.
But as the cruiserweight boxer steps into the ring tomorrow night against compatriot Nik Charalampous on the undercard of the Sonny Bill Williams-Paul Gallen bout in Sydney, his performance will be telling.
The fight will determine whether the former Olympianhas overcome the mental hurdles that have clouded him since his IBF world title loss to Jai Opetaia in January.
Nyika admitted during the Sonny Bill Williams-Paul Gallen pre-fight press conference that it hasn’t been an easy camp “psychologically” and that he expected to be a world champion right now.
David Nyika: "Boxing's a humbling sport and I love it for that reason." Photo / Photosport
“I’ve always taken pride in my resilience,” Nyika told Newstalk ZB in Sydney.
“And I know that’s the only way forward, it’s to keep punching.
“I’ve had to do a lot of self-discovery in this time and a lot of it’s been psychological and mental growth, but that’s what will make me a better person and athlete.
“Boxing’s a humbling sport and I love it for that reason.”
The two-time Commonwealth Games champion was mum when asked whether he’s cleared his mental and psychological barriers.
“Well, we’ll have to find out on fight night. This has been fun. I have to make it fun otherwise you can’t sit in your rut for too long, it’s bad for your soul.
“I’m just glad to be back and around familiar people.”
A hard-nosed journeyman in Charalampous is the ideal opponent for Nyika in his comeback fight.
The 32-year-old has yet to be knocked out in his career, with his lone stoppage coming as a result of a knee injury.
David Nyika at Monday's press conference in Sydney. Photo / Alyse Wright
Stopping “The Greek” would do wonders for Nyika’s confidence.
“He’s a stand-up bloke when it comes to the fight game. He’s been in there with the best and he’s a survivor. He’s hard to kill, so it’ll be a good test.”
While the main event lacks the mutual respect between the former rugby league titans, Nyika’s bout sits at the other end of the spectrum, far from a surprise given one of the combatants is “The Nice Guy” himself.
“He’s a great guy. He’s turned up in shape, he looks like he’s had full preparation for the fight, so I think we’re going to throw down. I’ve got heaps of respect for him,” Nyika says.
The pair are no strangers to each other, having sparred when Nyika was coming up through the ranks.
“I’ve actually had a heap of memories pop up and people have sent me photos. They’re like, ‘Remember this?’ and I’m like, ‘No, not really’. But he was trying to take my head off back in the day,” Nyika recalls.
The Hamilton-born, Gatton-resident shed none of his patriotism when asked for his take on the main event between Williams and Gallen.
“Sonny is a bigger man and everyone knows that Gallen is a dog, but it’s a hard fight to assess from a distance because they haven’t fought recently.
“I want Sonny to do well because I know Sonny and I respect him and he’s taught me a lot about the life of an athlete and being a professional so I hope he smashes Paul.”
