Eddie Hearn didn’t think David Nyika would accept undoubtedly the most daunting challenge of his career with only 10 fights on his professional record.

Hearn and Mick Francis, Jai Opetaia’s other co-promoter, therefore were pleasantly surprised when the unbeaten New Zealander took this shot at Opetaia’s IBF cruiserweight title scheduled for Wednesday night at Gold Coast Convention Centre in Opetaia’s hometown of Broadbeach, Australia.

England’s Hearn, Matchroom Boxing’s managing director, thinks Nyika (10-0, 9 KOs) embraced this huge step up in competition because of what the 6-foot-6 power puncher learned about Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) during their numerous sparring sessions.

“They’ve sparred a lot,” Hearn told The Ring a few minutes before Opetaia and Nyika made weight Tuesday morning in Broadbeach. “And I think that’s one of the reasons Nyika took the fight. He clearly had some success in sparring. We were actually talking for 12 months about how this was gonna be a massive fight. And you know how it works with the IBF if the mandatory pulls out – you go down the list. We were going down the list with Mick Francis, the co-promoter, and we got down to Nyika and we said, ‘Oh, he’s not gonna take it.’

“And I said, ‘Well, you have to ask him. Otherwise, they’ll say he hasn’t been asked.’ So, they reached out and he went, ‘Yeah, I’ll take it.’ And it’s not a massive payday or anything. I mean, it’s good money, but the reality is, you know, it could’ve been a much bigger payday [if he waited]. He’s taking it because he thinks he can win. And obviously, if he wins he’s a massive star.”

DAZN will stream the card headlined by Opetaia, The Ring’s No. 1-ranked cruiserweight, and Nyika, not ranked by The Ring. The streaming service’s undercard coverage is set to begin at 8 a.m. GMT in the UK and 3 a.m. in the United States.

Most oddsmakers list Opetaia as at least a 10-1 favorite, but Hearn anticipates a legitimate challenge from the taller, strong Nyika, who resides in Gatton, Australia.

“It’s a real fight,” Hearn said. “Nyika is so confident. I mean, sometimes you can talk yourself into the fight. But he’s a standout amateur – two golds in the Commonwealth [Games], he’s an Olympian. He’s big, strong, sharp, fast. And, you know, I think sometimes you run the risk, if you’re Opetaia, sometimes you’re talking about Usyk, you’re talking about ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, and it’s obviously the first fight he’s had in 2½ years in Australia. So, yeah, I actually think it’s a really good fight.”