(L-R) – Nieky Holzken & Callum Smith
(Picture courtesy of World Boxing Super Series)
EDMONTON, Kanada (Februari 21, 2018) – World Boxing Council (WBC) Diamond champion Callum “värld” Smith (23-0, 17 Kos) takes on late replacement Nieky “The Natural” Holzken (13-0, 10 Kos) denna lördag in the last World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) semifinals-round match in the super middleweight division, at Nurnberger Versicherung Arena in Nuremburg, Tyskland
The Smith vs. Holzken card, börjar vid 2 p.m. OCH, will air live in Canada, uteslutande på Super Channel.
Holzken, an undefeated Dutch prospect, has replaced two-time world champion Juergen Braehmer, Tyskland, who withdrew from the WBSS semifinals match due to illness.
“I have been battling a feverish infection since Sunday,” Braehmer explained. “Olyckligtvis, 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 mellanvikt världsmästare “Sir” George Groves (28-3, Kos), of the United Kingdom, Juni 2at The O2 Arena in London, in a battle for the coveted Muhammad Ali Trophy.
Super Channel förvärvat de exklusiva rättigheterna i Kanada för att sända World Boxing Super Series från MP & Silva, ett ledande internationellt mediebolag som tillhandahåller medierättigheter, digital, teknik och sponsringstjänster.
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 WBSS quarterfinalsna, 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,” Smith sade. “Looks like I spoke too soon. We got the call as we were boarding the plane. I am committed to fighting Lördag 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 Lördagens 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 över 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 Lördag. I’ve watched Callum fight many times. I study everyone in my weight class. He’s a good, fast jaktplan. 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” kort, presented by Sauerland Event, kommer luft uteslutande i Kanada på Super Channel.
In the 10-round WBSS Substitute Fight, Dmitrii “Night Wolf” Chudinov (20-2, 13 Kos), Rysslands, faces an opponent to be determined in the co-featured event. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic (3-0, 3 Kos), Kroatien, faces Irishman Sean “Big Sexy” Turner (12-1, 8 Kos) i en åtta Ligt skjutningen; former WBC Youth light heavyweight champion James Kraft (13-0, 9 Kos), Tyskland, meets Cameroon native Bernard Donfack (23-17-3, 11 Kos) in an eight round super middleweight match; 19-year-old German super middleweight Leon Bauer (12-0-1, 8 Kos) fyrkanter av med Marco Miano (6-6, 2 Kos), Italien, 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 Kos) may also be aired.
Alla slagsmål och fighters är föremål för förändring.
World Boxing Super Series semifinalen SCHEMA
CRUISERWEIGHTS
Januari 27, Riga Arena, Riga, Lett – WBO / WBC enhetliga
Oleksandr “Katten” Usyk (14-0, 11 Kos), Ukraina
WMDEC12 (115-113, 115-113, 114-114).
Mairis Deer (23-1, 18 Kos), Lett
(Usyk behöll sin WBO titel och vann WBC mästerskapet)
Februari 3, Bolsjoj-palatset, Sochi, Ryssland – IBF / WBA enhetliga
Murat “Järn” Gassiev (26-0, 19 Kos), Ryssland
WTKO12
Yunier “KO Doctor” Dorticós (21-1, 20 Kos), Kuba
(Gassiev retained his IBF title and won WBA championship)
SUPER middle
Februari 17, Manchester, Arena, Manchester, UK – WBA / IBO enhetliga
“Saint” George Groves (28-3, 20 Kos), United Kingdom
WDEC12 (117-112, 116-112, 115-113)
Chris “Nästa generation” Eubank Jr. (26-2, 20 Kos), IBO världsmästare, United Kingdom
(Groves retained his WBA title and won IBO championship)
Februari 24, Nurnberger Versicherung Arena, Nürnberg, Tyskland
Callum “värld” Smith (23-0, 17 Kos), United Kingdom – Ring #3
(WBC Diamond Super mellanvikt Champion)
vs.
Nieky “The Natural” Holzken (13-0, 10 Kos), Nederländerna
WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
CRUISERWEIGHTS
Maj 11, 2018, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – WBC/WBC/WBA/IBF/Ring Unification
Oleksandr “Katten” Usyk (14-0, 11 Kos), WBO/WBC Champion, Ukraina – Ring #1
vs.
Murat “Järn” Gassiev (26-0, 19 Kos), WBA/IBF Champion, Ryssland – Ring #2
Juni 2, 2018, The O2 Arena, London, United Kingdom – WBA / IBO enhetliga
“Saint” George Groves (28-3, 20 Kos), United Kingdom, WBA/IBO Champion – Ring #2
vs.
Callum Smith-Nieky Holzken winner
