Kiwi heavyweight boxer David Nyika, is entitled to be ranked as one of the best amateur boxers ever produced in our country, since the coming of order in the New Zealand pugilistic ranks in 1902.

David Nyika became the first New Zealand boxer to win two Commonwealth Games Gold Medals, after winning the Heavyweight division at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast, Australia.

The Waikato boxer cruised into the semi-finals after his Cameroon quarter final opponent failed to front, before meeting big-punching Englishman Cheavon Clarke. The English boxer gave the kiwi pugilist a torrid time before Nyika clinched a berth in the gold medal decider.

Nyika was forced to fight his way back into the contest after losing the first stanza. The unanimous decision spoke volumes of David’s resilience, as he stormed back into the fight,  to outpoint Clarke who was ranked No 5 in the AIBA world rankings.

In what turned out to be a classic Trans-Tasman battle, David squared off with Australian number one Jason Whatley in the Gold Medal final. The Australian presented a different prospect from David’s English semi-final opponent, with the Australian possessing a longer reach.

In the opening round, Nyika soaked up all the Aussie could throw at him, before unleashing in the last two rounds, with all five judges declaring the Kiwi a unanimous winner.

David Nyika’s gold medal followed a similar success in the Light Heavyweight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

A measure of where Nyika stands in the annuals of boxing in our country, is that New Zealand has won just seven Commonwealth Games Gold Medals, with two belonging to the Waikato boxer.

Shane Cameron became the first boxer over the Middleweight limit, to win the Jameson Belt, when he annexed the Heavyweight title at the 2001 New Zealand championships.

The Fielding boxer didn’t lace on gloves, until he travelled to Great Britain on a working holiday. Talk of attending the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester saw him return to his country of birth in an attempt to wear the black singlet. 

Shane’s New Zealand amateur career was short and sharp before turning to the professional ranks. A Commonwealth Games Bronze Medal in Manchester in 2002, was the highlight, with his sole New Zealand championships resulting in the New Zealand Heavyweight title. His Taupo Heavyweight title, was notable for his defeat of Adam Forsyth who returned to Australia to annex the Australian Heavyweight crown, just a couple of weeks after being beaten by Shane in the New Zealand Heavyweight final.

Cameron was another New Zealand Amateur Heavyweight champion to win a myriad of accolades in world professional circles. The “Mountain Warrior’s” world title bout against Danny Green for the World Cruiserweight title was a thriller, while few in the country will forget his fight with David Tua in Hamilton.

Three time (2011, 2012, 2013) National champion David Light, joined an elite group of Kiwi amateur boxers when he won a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. David joined Darcy Heeney (1938) Chris Rollinson (1950) Jimmy Beal (1950) Bill Kini (1962) and Bill Byrne (1974) in reaching the gold medal contest. Light won three fights, on the way to meeting Canadian Samir El-Mais in the Heavyweight title decider.

Bay of Plenty’s David Aloua won back to back Heavyweight crowns in 2009 and 2010 and was selected for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. In the build-up to the Commonwealth Games, Aloua won a Bronze Medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Championships.

Barry Leabourn

Article added: Saturday 26 January 2019