On January 8th, 2025, IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will defend his title against the rising Kiwi star David Nyika. Nyika was the last-minute replacement for the original challenger Huseyin Cinkara, who reportedly suffered an ankle injury. Even though it will be Nyika’s first major title fight, he has impressed everyone in his short career.

The fight will not only be for the cruiserweight title, but both Jai Opetaia (26-0) and David Nyika (10-0) will also put their undefeated record on the line. The duo would like to stake their claim even before the official bell and will try to sway the crowd at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach with their walkout songs. So, what songs have they used before? Let’s find out.

What songs has Jai Opetaia used in the past for his ringwalk?

The Sydney native proudly flexes his Samoan heritage whenever he walks into the ring, often choosing songs to honor his cultural roots. For his rematch against Mairis Briedis on May 18 on the Fury-Usyk I card, he walked out to two Samoan songs. He began his entry on “Samoae Maopoopo Mai” by Vaniah Toloa. The song translates to “Samoa, Come Together”. The song emphasizes the themes of unity and pride. And the way Kingdom Arena’s sold-out crowd erupted for the Australian, it was mesmerizing to see.

He followed it up with “Kau Mo Samoa” by SJ Demarco, which also speaks on the themes of unity amongst the Samoans. It was a rallying cry for Jai Opetaia to represent Samoa with honor and determination on the global stage.

While he has not revealed the song that he will use at the Gold Coast Convention Centre next week, considering the match is in his home country and the songs he has used in the past, he will once again choose a similar song to show his pride in his culture and rile the crowd up to join him in this battle.

Which song has David Nyika used in the past?

Even though David Nyika has been living in Queensland for a while now, he will feel like an outsider on January 8th. However, it is not something that Nyika has not faced before in his rather short career. The 29-year-old has been on a tear in the cruiserweight division and has a 90% KO record. Standing at 6’6, ‘The Nice Guy’ is an intimidating prospect who has made a name for himself, not only for his destructive power but also for his distinct and unique walkouts.

For his fight against Titi Motusaga back in October 2022, the Kiwi walked out on the theme music of 1News, New Zealand’s primary news program, leaving the fans bewildered. He also pays homage to various TV shows and movies that he loves. For his fight against Karim Maatalla, one of the earliest fights of his career, Nyika walked out to the ring on the iconic Star Wars Theme by John Williams while being dressed as Boba Fett. As soon as he removed Fett’s helmet, Kanye West‘s ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’ took over the arena.

The 29-year-old one-uped himself when he walked out to ‘Man On The Moon’ by Kid Cudi while rocking an Optimus Prime mask against Michael Seitz last year. The commentators compared his attire directly to Deontay Wilder, who wore a 40-pound customized suit for his rematch against Tyson Fury. However, unlike Wider, David Nyika comfortably won his match via a 4th round knockout.

With the fight less than a week away, both fighters must have surely thought about their ring walk song. Will Jai Opetaia choose a similar song to get the crowd behind him? Will David Nyika become the talk of the town with his unique entrance? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts down below.