Nieky Holzken looks to play Cinderella against Callum Smith
Callum Smith expected to fight Juergen Braehmer in the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series. Instead, he faces unknown Nieky Holzken.
The World Boxing Super Series has been a hit with fight fans. Its super middleweight and cruiserweight tournaments have been competitive and exciting. On Saturday, Feb. 24, Callum Smith was supposed to fight WBA super middleweight champion Juergen Braehmer, but the best-laid plans have gone awry.
Braehmer recently pulled out of the WBSS because of illness, according to Boxen1. Without Braehmer, this bout is no longer a title bout and is missing one of the favorites to win this tournament. This is a major blow to the WBSS.
The final semifinal bout will go on without Braehmer. Nieky Holzken is Braehmer’s emergency replacement. The problem is that nobody knows who Nieky Holzken is.
Holzken has a nice record on paper. He is 13-0 with 10 knockouts. He is from the Netherlands and is 34 years old. Not much else is known about him. Boxrec.com has him rated as the 24th best super middleweight in the world.
In researching Holzken, he has a more extensive career as a kickboxer than a boxer. His kickboxing record is 90-14, with 46 KOs. He was the Glory welterweight champion at one point.
Holzken is a tough customer, but his lack of boxing experience is troubling. During his nearly five-year boxing career, he’s never fought a notable opponent. There is a lot of kickboxing footage of Holzken available on YouTube, but his boxing matches are hard, if not impossible, to find. He’s a mystery as a boxer.
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Despite Holzken’s lack of boxing credentials, the WBSS doesn’t deserve criticism for selecting him as Braehmer’s emergency replacement. The show must go on, and Holzken is the best replacement they could get at the last second.
Callum Smith is a 27-year-old rising star. He’s big for a super middleweight, standing at 6-foot-3, and he looked impressive in his last fight against Erik Skoglund. According to Oddsshark, he was a -749 favorite over Braehmer, so his odds against Holzken should widen substantially. He will be a massive favorite.
Smith should have an easy time with Holzken and cruise into the WBSS finals against George Groves. Groves impressively outboxed Chris Eubank Jr. in their semifinal bout. A Smith/Groves final should produce a lot of interest. Groves suffered a shoulder injury against Eubank, but the final will most likely be postponed until he is healed.
Holzken faces nearly insurmountable odds against Smith, but it only takes one punch to knock someone out. The only interest in viewing this bout is that there is the slightest of chances that Holzken can create a Cinderella-type moment and shockingly win this bout. It’s nearly impossible, but there’s always a chance.