Liam Messam: Former All Black on his undercard fight at the Viaducts Event Centre

David Nyika claims he feels like a different boxer after over two years under trainer Noel Thornberry. 

The Kiwi cruiserweight's set to fight American Tommy Karpency in Auckland tomorrow night, after original opponent Aussie Blake Caparello tested positive for elevated testosterone levels 10 days out from the fight. 

Nyika says he's reverted to his natural strengths, notably endurance and the ability to break opponents down.  

D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with former All Black Liam Messam who is fighting on the undercard.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildegrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Massive event tonight. I'm coming up at the vine Act
events at center of course. It's our man David Nieker
looking to carry on his run in boxing. It's been
a last minute change of opponent, but I'm sure that
he'll wipe the floor with Cup Pensi anyway. And someone
else is going to be up there on the ring

(00:32):
performing of an evening is Liam Messing. He joins us, Now, Liam,
you love this punching people on the face, like don't
you can't stop it? Mate?

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah, it's a bit of a once get the bug.

Speaker 4 (00:43):
It's hard to get rid of ad and it's got
that bloody competitive vision that I've always had. I guess
as a free player. I wish I didn't have that,
but that's that's good. Teach me fit and healthy. As
long as you look after the brain then well.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
And the whole idea is not to get hit, and
that's how you stay fit and healthy. Learn how to
bob and weave and sway that.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
That is the key. And that's one thing that I'm
not very good at is dodging punches. To the face.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
So that's something to continue working for me.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
How did David Higgins get you into the ring? You
said you were sober, Keen. Did you just ring up
go now, LEAHM need you to come and help me
out and you just signed it? Or was it a
bit more than that?

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Nah? I was.

Speaker 4 (01:26):
I had a fight in May and I was sort
of thinking, oh, that this might be it. But then
we're really close with David Nike, and then his team
reached out and saying they're going to have a fight
back here in New Zealand and they're keen to get
me on. So I was just like, just just a
wonderful opportunity not to turn down. So I was like, yep, Keen,
they really had a guy that was keen to fight me.

(01:47):
He unfortunately got sick this week, so here's a pull up,
so I got a new opponent. But no, it's just yes,
I guess I'm just lucky that we were a good
place mats with the David Aker camp.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
So he's a good man too. David really appreciate what
he does and what he brings. And I'll tell you
what he's looking in some mean nick right now, isn't
he who.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Though, that's this, this is genetics.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
I think, yeah, yeah, he's looking bigger, isn't he. I
remember telling me me flogged my rig years ago and
to look after, you know, my body while he's using it.
But I think he's increased in so he's getting bigger,
isn't he.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Yeah, he's getting a bit wider on the shoulders. It's
taken him a few years though.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
I still remember him as the thirteen year old kid
that walked into a gym and he had just these
two little skinny chicken meat. But he's worked hard enough
now and he does like to walk around off a
shirt off.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
But if I had a body like that, I probably
would see.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Absolutely completely understandable, Liam, mess some joints. As far as
your own career is concerned, you haven't been beaten yet,
have you? You're like, and oh, so far as far as
you're fighting, you've been off and on for what teen years?

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Liam? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (02:53):
Just you know, I put a lot of work in
effer in into my boxing and into my training, and
it's not a game. You don't play boxing. So I
prepear like each fighters as a world total fight. I
guess this, this fight tonight is definitely going to be
my hardest challenge. The Greek as one of the Zealand's
top boxes. You know, has records something like twenty eight

(03:15):
and and three or something. He's he's willed, He's had
a couple of will class fights. You know, he's taking
Joe Oppata, who's the Cruise aweight world champion, the distance.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
So yeah, this is this is a serious, serious fight.
Come come tonight.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
You're taking joy the distance. That really is something else.
It's good. What does he bring to the ring? What
do we have to fear in him? What do you
look at? I know it's all about you, But what
what does Nick bring?

Speaker 3 (03:41):
He brings he brings everything.

Speaker 4 (03:42):
He's wildly, he's skillful, he's got power, he's he's got ringmanship,
he's got craft, he's got everything. So he's got the
experience on me. He's been in the ring, done that.
Like I said, he's been on the big wild stagers before.
You know, just say, this is a wonderful opportunity for
myself to really dive into the deep ending.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
I sure have dived in and pretty brief in this one.

Speaker 4 (04:03):
And see they're going to be sinkle swim So I'm
gonna have to be pretty switched on for the for
the four rounds and yeah, and try and figure and
figure them out. And now it's just going to be
a hell of a hell of a chess match hopefully.
And that's that's actually one thing I'm actually really looking
forward to is that sort of I wouldn't call it
scientific boxing, but that sort of style of boxing.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
It is.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
They call it the sweet science, sweet science.

Speaker 4 (04:30):
But when I get in there, you start off as
sweet science and want you get punched in the face
that it all goes out the window.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
You're just trying to try to get them. So uh yeah,
it's a very very dangerous fight.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
But again I have my opponent pulled out on me
on Monday, so Nick jumped in.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
There's a sort of only option for me or they're
going to pull me off the card.

Speaker 4 (04:49):
And being the person I was, accepted the challenge and
I really don't want to miss this card anyway.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Just it's gonna be a great night, a great event
for for us and on boxing.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
Good fighters on there as well, isn't there. I got
the hate I hear the fighting course, David Naker yourself.
This is going to present a lot I don't know
if they are still tickets available, there are people you're
going grab some or jump on pay per view because
there's a lot of nice pugilists out there.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
One d per Card is just amazing like.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
Himy as One Wheels, a young up and coming heavyweight.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
His fight's going to be be awesome.

Speaker 4 (05:27):
He's a young Alex Leopov who spent there the last
couple of days with him. He's an eighteen year old kid.
He's got something silly like six foot six one and
twenty five kgs. He's a humongous kid, so looking forward
to the ring. And also a young Jackson England I
think his name. He's part of a niker team as well.

(05:47):
He's coming from was He and he's a top top
ten in the world.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
Lit All Farward, I think you so it's gonna be
It's gonna be a great show. It's gonna be a great night.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
And finally, Leah Messi, if you do end up sinking
or maybe even swimming, is that it for you? Gonna
wind it up? Or can they luire you back for
one more shot?

Speaker 4 (06:07):
I think this is the fourth time I've come out
of retirement actually, so who knows the last?

Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (06:13):
Or the last three fights, I've actually seen that this
is it, this is it.

Speaker 3 (06:16):
But then, yeah, I think I got to just give
my gear away because then I can't spar I can't
go training.

Speaker 4 (06:22):
So if I give my gloves away, give my sparring
gear away, then I can't come back to training.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
Say, we'll see what happens.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
Man.

Speaker 4 (06:28):
Like I said, I love the sport. I am not
you know, I'm definitely not getting younger. I'm forty years
old now. But yeah, you know I love it, so
I will just see what happens.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
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