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Nyika's team aiming to secure world title fight in New Zealand
Sport Nation • August 10th, 2026 12:02 pm
David Nyika | Photo: Photosport
David Nyika’s next challenge could be a world title fight on home soil, with his team exploring the possibility of bringing his showdown with Britain’s Viddal Riley to New Zealand.
Nyika secured his world title opportunity with a hard-fought 12-round victory on Saturday, going the distance for the first time in his professional career.
Manager David Higgins said the fight was exactly the test Nyika needed ahead of his showdown with Riley for the vacant IBF cruiserweight world title
“It’s put 12 quite tough rounds under his belt and I think he can take a lot of confidence from winning against an opponent who had no quit in him," he told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy.
Higgins said negotiations between the camps had already begun, with the location yet to be determined.
David Nyika in action against Floyd Masson | Photo: Photosport
While Riley’s team is understood to favour staging the fight in Britain, Nyika’s camp believes New Zealand remains a possibility - if the money stacks up.
“Everyone wants to fight in their home country,” his manager said. “But then again, it’s money that talks in boxing.”
The team is now working with sponsors and partners to assess whether it can put together a strong enough offer to bring the fight to New Zealand.
“If more money can be put on the table here, it will be here in New Zealand,” he said. “That’s our job really, is to rally around our sponsors, partners, do a budget, guesstimate how many tickets we think we can sell and so forth, and then put an offer on the table.”
If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, the fight could go to an IBF purse bid, with the highest bidder securing the worldwide rights and effectively determining where the bout is staged.
Riley is undefeated at 14-0 for his career, with seven of those wins coming via knockout.
Listen to the full interview below:
