Kiwi keeps Oceania boxing title

NEW Zealand heavyweight David Nyika successfully defended his Oceania boxing title with a unanimous points decision win over Australian No.1 Jason Whateley on the Gold Coast yesterday.

It’s Nyika’s third straight victory over the Victorian and was sweet redemption after missing out on the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

Nyika burst on to the scene at just 18, when he won gold as a light heavyweight at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games three years ago, and now feels he’s completed the step up.

“I’m a fully fledged heavyweight now, which has given me a lot of confidence when I can sit and tangle with the likes of Jason, who’s a good fighter,” he said.

The result at the Oceania Boxing Championships means the 21-year-old has qualified for the world championships starting in Hamburg in late August.