David Nyika believes destiny may only call once. That’s why he’s stepping up on three weeks’ notice for the biggest fight of his career to challenge Jai Opetaia for the IBF world cruiserweight title next month.

The enticing, potentially life-changing opportunity to fight for Opetaia’s IBF crown in the Gold Coast on January 8 emerged after the Australian’s original opponent, Germany’s Huseyin Cinkara, suffered a broken ankle.

Nyika is ranked 10th with the IBF following his three-round shut-out of American journeyman Tommy Karpency in Auckland last September, but with all the other ranked contenders turning down the chance to fight the dangerous Opetaia at such short notice, the Kiwi cruiserweight has rapidly been elevated to mandatory challenger status.

While obvious risk exists in challenging Opetaia – the 26-0 veteran who has defended his IBF world title four times, three via knockout, since defeating Mairis Briedis in 2022 – Nyika has been targeting this fight since he first linked with widely respect Queensland boxing coach Noel Thornberry in May, 2022.

Since then, Nyika has geared everything for this opportunity – his childhood dream to compete for a world title. Now undefeated through 10 professional fights, Nyika knew all roads would one day lead to a clash with Opetaia – just not this soon.

Last September, Nyika aligned with promoters Duco Events and Joseph Parker, who will challenge Daniel Dubois for the IBF world heavyweight title in February, to launch his road to the title.

Nyika barely broke a sweat against Karpency at the Viaduct Events Centre, in his first fight in New Zealand for three years. At that point the plan was to continue steadily climbing the rankings and knocking off tougher opposition en route to a title shot within 18 months.

While the plotline of Nyika challenging Opetaia for his world crown has arrived faster than anyone expected, he and his team believe you cannot turn down a title shot. Having long planned to square off with Opetaia, and after sparring with him several times, Nyika will arrive with belief and confidence he can pull off an upset triumph.

“Ever since David started boxing at the age of 14 he’s dreamed of fighting for a world championship one day,” Thornberry said. “When those opportunities are presented it’s very hard to knock them back especially when you’re in good condition.”

Unlike other contenders, Nyika will not arrive cold for his date with destiny. He always remains supremely fit but is currently at the end of an eight-week training camp after searching for an opponent for the same January 8 card, with no other top 10 ranked cruiserweights willing to fight him at that event.

Opetaia is considered one of the world’s best southpaws. In his last outing in October he pummeled Jack Massey into submission, with his team throwing in the towel in the sixth round after witnessing the hefty punishment.

Compared to American Karpency, Nyika’s last opponent, Opetaia is a completely different beast.

In an ideal world, Nyika would have gone into deep waters with experienced cruiserweight contenders before confronting this significant step up in class but the world title stage is an occasion to seize, to tell the grandkids about, and a chance some fighters never get.

There was, therefore, no hesitation when the call came last weekend to offer Nyika the title fight. Terms were swiftly agreed, and the contract was signed on Sunday, with official written confirmation from the IBF arriving on Wednesday.

“It’s not ideal. We would’ve liked David to have had better lead in fights but world titles aren’t promised to anybody. You don’t want to be a grandfather looking back saying ‘I turned that down’,” Thornberry said.

“My ideal would have been to have three, four fights this year and go eight-to-10 rounds. That’s the ideal preparation but it doesn’t always turn out that way. David said to me ‘I’m hot right now, I’m ready to go, let’s do it’.”

Nyika is yet to box past five rounds as a pro but Thornberry derives confidence from his extensive amateur experience and insight from watching him spar Opetaia.

“It’s not like Jai is a new topic in our gym. We’ve been shooting at him since day one because he is the best in the world,” Thornberry said.

“David has the benefit of having shared the ring with Jai on a number of occasions. It’s whoever turns up on the day gets on top. There is very little between these two fighters. Jai has experience as a professional on his side but David makes up for that with his skills.

“Boxing is different in the gym to the ring but every time Dave gets in the ring he fights better. If that’s the case, Jai is in trouble. Dave lifts on the night.”

As a dual Commonwealth Games gold and Olympic bronze medallist, Nyika is no stranger to performing on the big stage. His dedicated attitude, technical ability and amateur perigee has never been questioned.

The scene is now set for his greatest test in the pro ranks – and a stage to propel him into global boxing stardom.

While Nyika will be an underdog given his comparative professional experience, Thornberry has a history of guiding fighters to upsets, having navigated unheralded heavyweight Alex Leapai to an unthinkable world title shot against Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 after stunning everyone to defeat 33-0 German contender Denis Boytsov on his home soil.

“Boxing has a history of upsets but if Dave wins this fight it won’t be an upset in our eyes.”

Nyika’s shot at the IBF crown is the first of three world title tilts for Kiwi fighters in seven weeks, with Mea Motu seeking to unify the super bantamweight world titles when she takes on Ellie Scotney (9-0) on January 25 in Nottingham, and Parker challenging Dubois on February 22 in Saudi Arabia.

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.