Nieky Holzken off It's Showtime Amsterdam Show

Reports out of the Golden Glory camp indicate that Nieky Holzken will no longer be participating in the big May It's Showtime show coming from the Amsterdam ArenA.  Holzken was scheduled to face MAX champion Giorgio Petrosyan, however due to some contractual disputes, it appears Holzken has opted out of the fight.  It's Showtime has yet to make it official, so details and specifics remain uncertain at this point.

This is an unfortunate turn of events for Holzken, who quietly snuck into the top 10 with solid performances throughout 2009.  Undoubtedly Petrosyan reprsents a huge challenge, and Holzken would have been considered a massive underdog, but fighting an athlete of Petrosyan's caliber can only help your career, and it is a shame to see that opportunity disappear for Holzken.

Holzken is very popular in Amsterdam, and many fans are upset to see him removed.  In addition, this is the second recent change to the May card to cause some irritation among fans, coming fast on the heels of Khalid Bourdif being pulled from Rayen Simson's retirement fight.  Considering how early It's Showtime announced these match-ups, some shuffling of the card was inevitable, though that is little consolation to fans who wanted to see their hometown star take on the best in the world.

UPDATE: New word is that Holzken and It's Showtime management have worked things out and Holzken v. Petrosyan is still set for May 29.