(L-R) – Nieky Holzken & Callum Smith
(Picture courtesy of World Boxing Super Series)
Edmonton, Canada (February 21, 2018) – Kaunihera mekemeke World (WBC) Diamond champion Callum “ao” Smith (23-0, 17 Koó) takes on late replacement Nieky “te Natural” Holzken (13-0, 10 Koó) tenei Rāhoroi in the last World Mekemeke Super Series (WBSS) semifinals-round match in the super middleweight division, at Nurnberger Versicherung Arena in Nuremburg, Germany
The Smith vs. Holzken card, tīmata i 2 p.m. AND, will air live in Canada, anake i runga i Super Channel.
Holzken, an undefeated Dutch prospect, has replaced two-time world champion Juergen Braehmer, o Germany, who withdrew from the WBSS semifinals match due to illness.
“I have been battling a feverish infection since Sunday,” Braehmer explained. “Kia aroha mai, a fight in this state is out of the questions. It is not possible for me to go into the ring like this and I would like to apologize to my fans. I was well prepared and looking forward to fighting Callum.”
The Smith-Holzken winner will advance to the WBSS super middleweight championship final against World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) Super whitu World Champion “Sir” George Groves (28-3, Koó), of the United Kingdom, Pipiri 2at The O2 Arena in London, in a battle for the coveted Muhammad Ali Trophy.
riro Super Channel te tika motuhake i roto i Canada ki te päpäho i te Ao Mekemeke Super Series i MP & Silva, he kamupene ārahi pāpāho ao e whakarato tika pāpāho, mamati, ratonga hangarau me te tautoko.
Smith was the least tested WBSS semifinalist in terms of having faced quality opponents, as well as the youngest at 27. The undefeated Brit is one of four fighting Smith brothers.
I roto i te quarterfinals WBSS, Smith took a 12-round unanimous decision from previously unbeaten Erik Skoglund to capture the World Boxing Council (WBC) Diamond super middleweight title.
“I gave an interview last week and said it was great there have been no drop-outs,” Ka mea a Smith. “Looks like I spoke too soon. We got the call as we were boarding the plane. I am committed to fighting Rāhoroi and will fight whoever the World Boxing Super series puts in front of me.”
The 34-year-old Holzken was preparing to fight Dmitri Chudinov i roto i te Rāhoroi o WBSS Super Middleweight Substitute Fight. He has had only four scheduled 10-round matches during his five-year professional career, the most notable being a win by 10-round unanimous decision in 2016 mo Farouk Daku (20-9-1) for the vacant BeNeLux super middleweight title.
Holzken is determined to make the most of this opportunity by upsetting Smith, despite his obvious leap in class. “I’ve been waiting for this chance to come,” Holzken commented. “I signed up as a substitute fighter, so I’m in great shape and prepared for Rāhoroi. I’ve watched Callum fight many times. I study everyone in my weight class. He’s a good, toa totoka. We’re both big body punchers. It will make for an excellent fight. Callum, you better be ready, because I am, and I’m coming to beat you!”
Five exciting fights on the “Smith-Holzken” kāri, presented by Sauerland Event, Ka rangi anake i roto i Canada i runga i Super Channel.
In the 10-round WBSS Substitute Fight, Dmitrii “Night Wolf” Chudinov (20-2, 13 Koó), o Russia, faces an opponent to be determined in the co-featured event. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic (3-0, 3 Koó), o Croatia, faces Irishman Sean “Big Sexy” Turner (12-1, 8 Koó) i roto i te a'ee waru-a tawhio noa; former WBC Youth light heavyweight champion James Kraft (13-0, 9 Koó), o Germany, meets Cameroon native Bernard Donfack (23-17-3, 11 Koó) in an eight round super middleweight match; 19-year-old German super middleweight Leon Bauer (12-0-1, 8 Koó) tapawhā atu ki Marco Miano (6-6, 2 Koó), o Italy, in a six-round fight to open the Super Channel broadcast. A six-round “swing bout” between German super middleweight Toni Kraft(12-0-1, 4 Kos) and Hungarian Jozsef Racz (7-20-1, 2 Koó) may also be aired.
He whawhai me whawhai katoa raro ki te huringa.
AO BOXING Super Tuhinga whiringa whaiti Apiti
CRUISERWEIGHTS
January 27, Riga Arena, Riga, Latvia – WBO / WBC whakakotahitanga
Oleksandr “Ko te Cat” Usyk (14-0, 11 Koó), Ukraine
WMDEC12 (115-113, 115-113, 114-114).
Mairis Deer (23-1, 18 Koó), Latvia
(mau Usyk tona taitara WBO, a riro te aito WBC)
February 3, Bolshoy Ice Dome, Sochi, Russia – IBF / WBA whakakotahitanga
Murat “Iron” Gassiev (26-0, 19 Koó), Russia
WTKO12
Yunier “Te KO Doctor” Dorticós (21-1, 20 Koó), Cuba
(Gassiev retained his IBF title and won WBA championship)
Super MIDDLEWEIGHTS
February 17, Manchester, Arena, Manchester, UK – WBA / IBO whakakotahitanga
“Saint” George Groves (28-3, 20 Koó), United Kingdom
WDEC12 (117-112, 116-112, 115-113)
Chris “Gen Panuku” Eubank Jr. (26-2, 20 Koó), IBO World Champion, United Kingdom
(Groves retained his WBA title and won IBO championship)
February 24, Nurnberger Versicherung Arena, Nuremburg, Germany
Callum “ao” Smith (23-0, 17 Koó), United Kingdom – Ring #3
(WBC Diamond Super whitu Champion)
vs.
Nieky “te Natural” Holzken (13-0, 10 Koó), Netherlands
WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
CRUISERWEIGHTS
Kia 11, 2018, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – WBC/WBC/WBA/IBF/Ring Unification
Oleksandr “Ko te Cat” Usyk (14-0, 11 Koó), WBO/WBC Champion, Ukraine – Ring #1
vs.
Murat “Iron” Gassiev (26-0, 19 Koó), WBA/IBF Champion, Russia – Ring #2
Pipiri 2, 2018, The O2 Arena, London, United Kingdom – WBA / IBO whakakotahitanga
“Saint” George Groves (28-3, 20 Koó), United Kingdom, WBA/IBO Champion – Ring #2
vs.
Callum Smith-Nieky Holzken winner
