EARLIER today Australia staged the first big boxing show of 2025 and in March it will have another according to promoter Eddie Hearn.
In the main event, Jai Opetaia retained his IBF Cruiserweight title in devastating fashion, knocking David Nyika out cold in the fourth round of their Trans-Tasman battle on the Gold Coast. Opetaia, along with a number of Aussie fighters, currently fight under the Matchroom banner, but it will be Hearn’s latest addition, George Kambosos Jr, 21-3 (10 KOs), who will headline their next show Down Under.
During the Opetaia-Nyika broadcast on DAZN, Hearn stood alongside WBC Female featherweight champion Skye Nicolson and host Charlie Parsons, revealing plans for Matchroom’s return to Australia.
“I think we’ve got a real plan in Australia this year to host four to five events,” he said.
“Skye will be defending her world title, looks like Tiara Brown is gonna be up next – the mandatory challenger – which is a brilliant fight. We’re talking to Lou Di Bella about the Cherneka Johnson-Nina Hughes rematch, we’ve got Teremoana, we’ve got Justis Huni, we’ve got Liam Paro, we’ve got Conor Wallace. We got all the cream of the crop in Australia.
“So next up March, could be Sydney but there will be an announcement next week regarding March and it’ll be headlined by George Kambosos with Skye defending her world title and much, much more. It’s a really interesting time for Australian boxing.”
Bizarrely it’s been seven years since Kambosos has won a fight on home soil. Since the win over Krai Setthapon the Sydney boxer has fought in America, Kuala Lumpur, Greece and the UK. His return home as lightweight champion in 2022 was a losing one after Devin Haney outclassed him at the Marvel Stadium to take the titles. Their rematch later that year produced the same result and another dominant performance from the American.
A fortuitous win over Maxi Hughes before a stoppage defeat to Vasyl Lomachenko has left Kambosos’ career in desperate need of another victory. The 31-year-old hopes that a new weight class, a new promoter, and boxing in Australia will bring out the fighter who defeated Teofimo Lopez over three years ago.
