Joseph Parker has scored an early knockdown against rival Junior Fa, recruiting "the most skilled fighter" in New Zealand to help him prepare for the December showdown.
Two-time Commonwealth Games champion David Nyika is in camp with the former WBO heavyweight champion, providing an excellent sparring partner with inside knowledge of how Fa's team prepare for big fights.
Nyika is a former sparring partner of UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, helping 'The Last Stylebender' prepare for Anderson Silva in 2019 at Auckland's City Kickboxing Gym.
The Parker camp is incredibly excited about their new addition, with head coach Kevin Barry labelling the Tokyo Olympic gold-medal prospect a future world champion.
"He's the most skilful fighter in New Zealand," says Barry. "There is no secret to that.
"A two-time Commonwealth champion, an Olympic qualifier and one of the top four amateur heavyweights in the world - he has a lot of talent.
"He's going to make a name for himself on a world scale as a cruiserweight. In fact, I'll come out now and say I think David Nyika will win a world championship."
Nyika is still an amateur, but he could make his professional debut on December 12 and still be eligible for Tokyo in 2021.
He must jump a few hurdles before that becomes reality, but Nyika would love the opportunity to show off his skillset to a worldwide audience.
"I think anyone would like to fight on this card. This is gonna be a massive, massive show, so just the prospect of that is really exciting."
Parker is complimentary of his new sparring partner's talents and believes the 25-year-old's in-ring versatility provides the perfect preparation for the undefeated Fa.
"David will bring anything that we ask of him, which is great - southpaw, orthodox, heaps of punches, not enough punches," Parker says. "It's great to have him with us.
"He gives us a chance to see what Junior presents. David has the height and the reach that we need to prepare for.
"David is right up there - right up the top. He's hard-working and talented."
Nyika could have the chance to show off those skills to more than Parker and Barry, come fight night at Auckland's Spark Arena.
Join us on December 12 for live updates of the Joseph Parker v Junior Fa heavyweight bout
