Racing
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Sport Nation
Motorsport
Netball
Basketball
Combat Sports
Olympics
Other Sports
Nyika finds perspective through fiancée's cancer fight ahead of high-stakes Auckland showdown
Stephen Foote • August 4th, 2026 12:10 pm
David Nyika | Photo: Photosport
Given the magnitude of the challenges David Nyika has faced outside of the ring over the past year, stepping into one against Floyd Masson this weekend may be the ideal antidote.
In preparation for his high-stakes bout in Auckland on Saturday, the Kiwi boxer has been plying his trade at fight camp in his rural base in Queensland, where he's been balancing those demands with helping his fiancee Lexy Thornberry - just 24 years old - through her battle with head and neck cancer.
It's meant striking a difficult work/life balance - two very different brands of fights demanding two very different approaches.
With Lexi's health rapidly improving, the process is one Nyika confessed has helped him in both respects, both as a boxer and a human being, while offering a very healthy dose of perspective.
"I've done a bit of growing up," Nyika told Sport Nation.
"I put a lot of time and energy into the things that matter the most, and I feel like I'm just starting to see the fruits of my labour in terms of seeing my beautiful fiancée flourish again.
"She's back on the mend you I credit myself for a lot of that, because I was her advocate and I was her rock. I gained a lot of strength during those months, just from realising my purpose here on earth.
Manu Vatuvei vs Rene Ranger preview | Sport Nation Mornings
"I believe that, as men, we're here to serve and protect. This is a beautiful world and I want to make sure that the people around me can appreciate that."
The more immediate fight at hand for Nyika now lies in NZ-born Australian Masson.
The 34-year-old boasts a professional record of 17-2 and enters this weekend's contest on the back end of three consecutive wins.
For Nyika, Masson represents the gateway to a host of new opportunities. Victory would cement him as the readymade opponent for No. 2 ranked Viddal Riley with the vacant IBF cruiserweight belt on the line.
That strap formerly belonged to surging Australian superstar Jai Opetaia, until he was stripped after deciding to sign on UFC boss Dana White's rebel promotion Zuffa Boxing.
With Opetaia currently suing to have his title reinstated, there is potentially a pathway for Nyika to avenge the only defeat of his professional career, having been knocked out by the Aussie in January 2025.
Jai Opetaia and David Nyika are on track for a rematch after their 2025 bout in Queensland | Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP
Nyika accepted that fight on late notice as an injury replacement, and is adamant he'd welcome a chance to rectify that strike on his record - this time, with the title wrapped around his own waist in what would be a big-money, marquee prize fight.
With the benefit of a full fight camp - and the right sparring partners - Nyika is confident the outcome would be different. Result aside, he says he learned plenty about his own capabilities as a fighter through the highly competitive opening rounds.
"I learned that I'm world-class. I'm world calibre," he said.
"I left a good account of myself on 18 days' notice. I take nothing away from Jai, but I had two guys that were both orthodox for sparring in those 18 days, so the prep wasn't ideal
"The prep that I've had for this fight would have been ideal for fighting someone like Jai."
That preparation alongside trainer Noel Thornberry has been what Nyika described as some of the best of his career to date, both physically and mentally.
"I've never been this dialled in and this focussed for a full 12-week camp before," he insisted.
"Floyd is the toughest guy. That's how I would market him - the biggest, scariest guy with the biggest heart, so it's going to be a great fight.
"We've got a great team behind us and I'm just excited to get in there and rip in.
"I've been working so hard for this one, so just keen to get started."
Listen to the full interview below:
