David Nyika and Blake Caparello face-off during the David Nyika Road to the Title Opponent Announcement Photo Opportunity and Press Conference at SkyCity Tower and SkyCity Grand Hotel. Photo: Photosport
David Nyika is set to take on Blake Caparello in Auckland later this year.
It will be David Nyika's toughest test yet.
Nyika will have to do what no Kiwi boxer has done before and defeat the world class Australian, Blake Caparello, if he is to continue his impressive run to a cruiserweight world title.
Nyika (9-0, 8KO) will face former WBO world title contender Caparello (32-4-1) in Auckland on 14 September.
Caparello's resume reveals an impeccable record against Kiwi opponents - with Robert Berridge, Daniel MacKinnon, Reece Papuni, Lance Bryant and Jordan Tai all having been dispatched by the Australian.
"David will have to prove that he is a cut above those that have gone down this path before," Nyika's promoter David Higgins said.
"Boxing aficionados had huge wraps on guys like Robbie 'The Butcher' Berridge, Dan MacKinnon and Reece Papanui and those guys ended up being totally outclassed.
"Caparello took on one of the most feared fighters of a generation in Sergey Kovalev and sat him on his backside in the opening round. Three months later Kovalev was in the ring with Bernard Hopkins - and not long after that went 11 rounds with Canelo Alvarez."
While impressed with his opponent's credentials, Nyika isn't fazed by the challenge.
"No disrespect to any of those Kiwi boys who took on Caparello and got beaten," Nyika said.
"They are all great fighters in their own right - but none of them are me. To me, Blake Caparello is just another step on the road to a world title."
Caparello is not buying into the hype around the Kiwi medallist.
"Nyika is untested as a professional, he hasn't gone past five rounds yet. I've been 10 and 12 rounds more than a dozen times against the world's best. I've headlined shows on ESPN and HBO in America. Let's see what he's got when the going gets tough."
Nyika's co-promoter Joseph Parker said the fight reminded of him when he took on former heavyweight contender Frans Botha in just his sixth fight.
"People were like 'this guy has been in the ring with Tyson and Holyfield - Baby Joseph is going to get destroyed! But if you're good enough and experienced enough - and David Nyika is most definitely good enough, to take on Blake Caparello."
Already ranked 14th by the IBF, Nyika will find himself knocking on the door of the top 10 with a victory.
In terms of independent rankings, Caparello has the edge on Nyika, with Boxrec rating the Aussie number 35 in the cruiserweight division - three rungs ahead of Nyika (38).
This bout is Nyika's first time headlining a major boxing pay-per-view card - and the first of four annual headline fights for the Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
The Kiwi star's homecoming party follows an impressive KO win over undefeated German, Michael Seitz, on the undercard of the massive Tyson Fury v Oleksander Usyk showdown in Saudi Arabia in May.