Ex-Opetaia rival earns repeat title shot after final eliminator victory

The New Zealander earned a 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112 unanimous decision to confirm his leading contender status.

Over a year-and-a-half on from challenging Jai Opetaia, the star will now earn another shot, with Viddal Riley his likely foe.

It will serve as a reminder, as much to Nyika himself as his rivals, that he is capable of contesting over the distance here.

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Relentless Zepeda finally becomes world champion

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He needed his ring IQ to function too against Masson, who brought early pressure to bear but failed to find consistency.

Nyika, a Tokyo 2020 bronze-medalist in the heavyweight category, subsequently grew into the contest with a steady calm.

An eighth-round slippage to the canvas belied his nerves perhaps, but the star played it smart in the championship rounds.

He will now be eyeing the IBF crown Opetaia was previously stripped of following his move to Zuffa Boxing earlier this year.

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