Hesdy Gerges: It's Showtime Heavyweight Champion May Soon Be Released from Police Custody

Per the Dutch media outlet Metro, Chakuriki Gym owner Thom Harinck has indicated that he anticipates Hesdy Gerges will be released from custody in the coming week.

Harinck, who trains Gerges, is also quoted as effectively stating that he refuses to believe the It's Showtime heavyweight champion could be involved in the alleged crime of drug trafficking. It seems fair to say that this isn't simply a matter of disbelief for Harinck, as he states that Gerges keeps far too tight a schedule for him to even have time for such activities and that he must have been set up.

In addition to the Hesdy Gerges situation, the Metro article highlights the broader troubles currently plaguing kickboxing in the Netherlands. The ongoing legal issues experienced by Badr Hari are of course highlighted, as is the combative position of Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan. This tension was highlighted recently by Dave Walsh over at LiverKick, who also made note of the BIBOB Act which is mentioned in the Metro article at hand.

It is evident that between the legal measures in place and the motivation of those within the local government, Amsterdam could continue to be a real headache for figures such as It's Showtime president Simon Rutz. With many of us confident that the organization has a real opportunity to grow, particularly given the current state of kickboxing more generally, we can only hope that 2011 will bring progress on the political front as well as the promotional.