Nieky Holzken

[diddy]

Anyone seen this guy? Apparently he's got alot of power. Looks like he's giving up alot of size to Callum Smith, who I find to be massively overrated. He shouldnt have much trouble here but I admit knowing jacksquat about his opponent.

[gilgamesh]

I've seen him in Kickboxing matches numerous times. He's an Elite World Champion level kickboxer. Not sure how he fares in Boxing, but his last win over Polyakov via 2nd round TKO is nothing to scoff at because I've seen Polyakov fight once, and he struck me as a fairly decent fighter. I thought he got screwed in his fight with Haertel.

[KiwiRider]

Slight height and reach difference

So does anyone know anything about him?

[gilgamesh]

Did you not read my above post?

[gilgamesh]

One of his Kickboxing matches



His most recent Boxing match

[asdfjkl]

Dutch kickboxer indeed, just like Tyrone Spong, in heavyweight, pretty much all the world top came from kickboxing. Povetkin, Miller, Klitschko, name them.

[diddy]

I have no clue how Callum Smith makes 168. Same with Jose Benavidez and Gilberto Ramirez. These guys are cruiserweights.

[Stuarty]

Dutch kickboxer indeed, just like Tyrone Spong, in heavyweight, pretty much all the world top came from kickboxing. Povetkin, Miller, Klitschko, name them.

Someone could start a thread about their pet cat choking on a stray anal bead and you'd still find a way to get the SpongMeister into the conversation..... You're consistent sir I'll give you that

[gilgamesh]

Dutch kickboxer indeed, just like Tyrone Spong, in heavyweight, pretty much all the world top came from kickboxing. Povetkin, Miller, Klitschko, name them.

I can't think of any cases where a truly Elite Kickboxer rose to the top in Boxing or vice versa really, but there have been guys that have had modest success as Kickboxers or Boxers making a successful transition to the other sport.

[asdfjkl]

Dutch kickboxer indeed, just like Tyrone Spong, in heavyweight, pretty much all the world top came from kickboxing. Povetkin, Miller, Klitschko, name them.

Someone could start a thread about their pet cat choking on a stray anal bead and you'd still find a way to get the SpongMeister into the conversation..... You're consistent sir I'll give you that

Both are Dutch, both are kickboxers, Tyrone has been champion of the entire world in his weightclass, how could you get around this?

[Stuarty]

Dutch kickboxer indeed, just like Tyrone Spong, in heavyweight, pretty much all the world top came from kickboxing. Povetkin, Miller, Klitschko, name them.

Someone could start a thread about their pet cat choking on a stray anal bead and you'd still find a way to get the SpongMeister into the conversation..... You're consistent sir I'll give you that

Both are Dutch, both are kickboxers, Tyrone has been champion of the entire world in his weightclass, how could you get around this?

I enjoy your work that's all I'm saying

[asdfjkl]

Dutch kickboxer indeed, just like Tyrone Spong, in heavyweight, pretty much all the world top came from kickboxing. Povetkin, Miller, Klitschko, name them.

I can't think of any cases where a truly Elite Kickboxer rose to the top in Boxing or vice versa really, but there have been guys that have had modest success as Kickboxers or Boxers making a successful transition to the other sport.

I've said from start of, I think he can get rank 20 ish, maybe a little higher with luck or fighting a massive pile of bums (like he's doing right now). I hope he will fight a top 20 guy soon.

[diddy]

Spong is too old to achieve high levels in boxing. If it was gonna happen he needed to commit to the sport earlier on. He's just taking boxing fights now for extra cash.

[asdfjkl]

Spong is too old to achieve high levels in boxing. If it was gonna happen he needed to commit to the sport earlier on. He's just taking boxing fights now for extra cash.

He's Wilder his age...

[SenorPipino]

This Holzken guy will do well to be around for the 5th round.

He's still a 50-1 underdog.

[gilgamesh]

Spong is too old to achieve high levels in boxing. If it was gonna happen he needed to commit to the sport earlier on. He's just taking boxing fights now for extra cash.

Speaking of which this makes me wonder how much Holzken will be making here and what his usual Kickboxing payday is. That might be interesting info to track down just for the sake of curiosity.

[gilgamesh]

This Holzken guy will do well to be around for the 5th round.

He's still a 50-1 underdog.

I wouldn't make him THAT much of an underdog considering his wealth of combat sports experience, but I'd still be well and truly shocked if he beat Callum Smith. I'm rooting for him because I always liked him in his Kickboxing matches, and you can't help but root for such an enormous underdog almost, but I mean yeah I'd be shocked if he won.

[SenorPipino]

His record has nary a real name on it, explaining why oddsmakers don't take him seriously at all.

However you can argue that Smith's resume is also devoid of any real talent.

So maybe it will be shockingly competitive.

Be warned that many books won't even post a line on it. For comparison, Smith was a 7-1 favorite over Braehmer.

I wonder if Holzken was compensated nicely for moving up to the main event on a few days notice.

The tourney needed him badly since there are no walk over wins allowed. He pretty much could have held organizer's hostage.

[jamamb]

holzken would beat callum no problem in kickboxing but cant see him having much of a chance in boxing!

[gilgamesh]

holzken would beat callum no problem in kickboxing but cant see him having much of a chance in boxing!

Actually I always wonder if it would indeed be "No Problem" for a Kickboxer to beat a Boxer in a Kickboxing match. I mean they'd definitely have the advantage obviously, but I wonder how Elite Boxers would fare in Kickboxing contests. For the most part you never find out because they make so much more money in Boxing that there'd be no reason for the crossover the majority of the time.

[jamamb]

i think if you put like 50 matches like that the vast majority would be won solidly by the kickboxers. id think the best cases for the boxers would be matches with kickboxers who mainly punch (like mark hunt was).

but kicks , knees, elbows can be super effective and give the kickboxers way more tools to work with. kicks can keep the boxer out of punching range and also the extra set of strikes allowed can send the boxers into a shell, as there wearty of opening up with all the new types of strikes there not used to dealing with

plus if muay thai clinch is allowed knees are much more effective in that than punches

[SenorPipino]

There was a time in the early 80s, I believe, that there was discussion of a Ray Leonard vs Chuck Norris matchup.

But Leonard's attorney and chief advisor, the late Mike Trainer, quickly squashed the idea.

I recall him saying that if you give someone enough weapons, a boxer is always going to be at a major disadvantage.

[Nightmare Roy]

This Holzken guy will do well to be around for the 5th round.

He's still a 50-1 underdog.

Is that all?

[SenorPipino]

This Holzken guy will do well to be around for the 5th round.

He's still a 50-1 underdog.

Is that all?

I take it you're not buying the odds the bookmakers are selling.

[diddy]

Guys over on boxing 24-7 think Nieky should only be an 8-1 dog.

The size disparity here is ridiculous.