Smith books Groves after seeing off Holzken

BERLIN: England’s Callum Smith was taken to 12 rounds by late replacement Nieky Holzken before booking his place in the World Boxing Super Series final against George Groves.

The judges unanimously awarded Saturday’s WBSS semi-final to Smith — 118-110, 117-111, 117-111 — and the Liverpudlian should face Groves, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, in the final planned for June. As expected, the unbeaten Smith earned the 24th win of his career in Nuremberg against Holzken, who is also a kick boxer and Muay Thai fighter. The Dutch 34-year-old only took the WBSS semi-final super-middleweight semi-final bout after German boxer Jurgen Braehmer pulled out with a virus on Tuesday. Groves, who was ringside, hopes to be ready for the final despite dislocating his shoulder his unanimous points win against Chris Eubank Jr.

Holzken deserves credit for a gutsy display and landed a big right in the first round to give Liverpool’s Smith food for thought. There was more composure from Smith, 27, in the second, but a right again caught the Englishman, who responded with a right uppercut, then took a counter left from Holzken in the third.

Smith started to exert his experience and class in the fourth, but found himself pinned to the ropes in the fifth when Holzken raised the tempo. The Dutchman was more than holding his own as Smith kept probing with his jab, but Holzken soaked up the blows and showed impressive fitness over the 12 rounds. He even briefly pinned Smith to the ropes briefly in the eighth.Smith rocked Holzken in the 11th round and the Englishman’s defence was rock solid as the Dutchman grew increasingly desperate.