| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1995-08-07)7 August 1995 (age 30) Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | Cruiserweight |
| Boxing career | |
| Reach | 79 in (201 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 12 |
| Wins | 11 |
| Win by KO | 10 |
| Losses | 1 |
David Kieran Nyika (born 7 August 1995) is a New Zealandprofessional boxer. As anamateur, he won a gold medal at both the2014 and2018 Commonwealth Games as well as competing at the2017 and2019 World Championships.[1][2][3][4] Nyika andSarah Hirini were theNew Zealand flag bearers at the2020 Summer Olympics.[5][6] Nyika gained significant media attention after an incident during the Round of 16 at the 2020 Summer Olympics in which Moroccan boxerYouness Baalla attempted to bite Nyika's ear.[7][8][9][10]
On July 27, 2021, Nyika won a Round of 16 match against MoroccanYouness Baalla in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. In what was described by commentators as a "disgraceful act", during the third round, Baalla attempted to bite Nyika.[11] The biting incident overshadowed the competition as New Zealand media reported that it "marred" Nyika's Olympic debut.[12] The incident drew comparisons toMike Tyson and Evander Holyfield's 1997 fight in which Tyson repeatedly bit Holyfield's ear.[13]
On August 3, 2021, David Nyika won a bronze medal after being defeated in the men's heavyweight semifinal against Russian Olympic Committee'sMuslim Gadzhimagomedov.[14]
Glasgow 2014
Gold Coast 2018
Hamburg 2017
Yekaterinburg 2019
Tokyo 2020
On 26 January 2021, it was announced that Nyika would make his professional debut against Jesse Maio on the undercard ofJoseph Parker vs. Junior Fa atSpark Arena on 27 February 2021.[15][16] The bout would end in strange fashion as following a big right hand landed by Nyika that floored Maio, Maio would protest that the punch landedbehind the head. Despite protestations from Maio that he had been hit behind the head, Nyika was awarded the win just 29 seconds into the opening round.[17]
Following his bronze medal winning performance at the2020 Summer Olympics Nyika would relocate toMorecambe, England in preparation for his second pro bout and would begin training under formerWBOmiddleweight championAndy Lee and would train alongside reigningWBCheavyweight championTyson Fury and former WBO heavyweight championJoseph Parker.[18] He would make his UK debut against Frenchman Anthony Carpin on the undercard of the rematch between Joseph Parker vs.Dereck Chisora atAO Arena inManchester on 18 December 2021. Nyika would progress to 2–0 dominating Carpin throughout the initial three minutes and when the bell rang to end the opening round, Carpin wouldretire on his stool complaining about a left elbow injury.[19]
Nyika's next outing would be involved in a crowd-pleasing five-round scrap with Karim Maatalla on the undercard ofGeorge Kambosos Jr vs Devin Haney on 5 June 2022. Nyika showcased some of the skills that helped him win Olympic bronze and two Commonwealth Games golds as he out-fought the game Maatalla over five rounds to win 49–46, 49–46 and 48–47 on the judges scorecards. Speaking on his performance after the fight, Nyika said, "Realistically, I'd give it like a C−, It was exactly what I needed. I needed some tough opposition, someone who can actually take the shots as well as give them back."[20]
Nyika challengedIBF andThe Ring cruiserweight championJai Opetaia at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on the Gold Coast in Australia on 8 January 2025, but lost the fight by knockout in the fourth round.[21][22][23][24]
| 11 fights | 10 wins | 1 loss |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 9 | 1 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Nikolas Charalampous | TKO | 6 (12) | 16 July 2025 | Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park | |
| 11 | Loss | 10–1 | Jai Opetaia | KO | 4 (12) | 8 Jan 2025 | Convention & Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast, Australia | ForIBF andThe Ring cruiserweight titles |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Tommy Karpency | TKO | 3 (10),1:13 | 15 Sep 2024 | Viaduct Events Centre,Auckland, New Zealand | Retained IBF Inter-Continental cruiserweight title; Won vacantWBO Asia Pacific cruiserweight title |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Michael Seitz | TKO | 4 (10),2:45 | 18 May 2024 | Kingdom Arena,Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Won vacantIBF Inter-Continentalcruiserweight title |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Robert Berridge | TKO | 3 (8),1:00 | 3 Nov 2023 | Gatton Shire Hall, Gatton, Australia | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Waikato Falefehi | TKO | 2 (8),2:14 | 28 July 2023 | Gatton Shire Hall,Gatton, Australia | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Louis Marsters | TKO | 4 (5),2:22 | 24 May 2023 | Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Titi Motusaga | KO | 2 (6),2:35 | 16 Oct 2022 | Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Louis Marsters | TKO | 2 (4),0:59 | 2 Jul 2022 | Convention & Exhibition Centre,Gold Coast, Australia | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Karim Maatalla | UD | 5 | 5 Jun 2022 | Marvel Stadium,Melbourne, Australia | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Anthony Carpin | RTD | 1 (4),3:00 | 18 Dec 2021 | AO Arena,Manchester, England | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Jesse Maio | KO | 1 (6),0:29 | 27 Feb 2021 | Spark Arena,Auckland, New Zealand |
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Flagbearer for New Zealand Tokyo 2020 With:Sarah Hirini | Succeeded by |
