Lerena hunts KO as he eyes another big bout

Story audio is generated using AI

Kevin Lerena says victory in his world title defence in Belgium on Saturday night will secure his spot on the undercard of former world heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua later this year.

Lerena puts his World Boxing Council (WBC) bridgerweight belt on the line in a rematch against Ryad Merhy, the Ivory Coast-born Belgian he beat on points at Emperors Palace in 2023.

“I need a win,” said Lerena, who jetted out the country yesterday evening. “It will get me a spot on the Fury-Joshua undercard.”

A date has yet to be set for Britain’s biggest all-local heavyweight clash since Lennox Lewis versus Frank Bruno in 1993, but it’s likely to happen late this year.

Last time out Lerena and Merhy went the distance, but Lerena was adamant this fight would not go to the scorecards. “I’m gonna knock him out,” said Lerena, one of South Africa’s two WBC champions after Siyakholwa Kuse’s triumph in the minimumweight division last weekend.

I need a win. It will get me a spot on the Fury-Joshua undercard - Kevin Lerena, WBC bridgerweight champion

“I am knocking Ryad Merhy out. My last fight with him I came off a loss to Daniel Dubois. There was no comeback fight — I went straight in, so I played that fight safe. I boxed my way to victory.

“I won’t play this fight safe. I’m gonna walk him down — seek, maraud and destroy. I’m still going to box him, but with intention. The knockout comes with a game plan,” added Lerena, saying he had worked hard in training. I’ve sparred over 200 rounds in camp, seven different sparring partners.”

He had also flown in two foreign sparring partners to assist at a cost of around R200,000. “I’ve had the most elite sparring you can get. That should tell you how serious I am and how badly I want to knock him out.”

Even though he was training in his home city of Johannesburg, Lerena created a camp-like environment, staying at a hotel away from wife Geraldine and their two young sons, Malakai and Maximus, during the week. “I do that so I’m in my own space and just focus.

“It’s for multiple reasons, like staying away from possible sickness. It’s super important, but it’s also nice to have family support. But I love spending time with my wife and kids, so when I get the opportunity, I go straight away to see them.”

On the day I interviewed him at trainer Peter Smith’s gym at Cedar Square, Geraldine brought him lunch — pieces of chicken breast with no skin, green vegetables and a grain mixed with lentils.

When Lerena fights at heavyweight, he does so at a little above 105kg, but he needs to make the 101.6kg bridgerweight limit at the weigh-in on Friday.

“I enjoy being a part of his camp and the build-up to the fights and everything I love watching him prepare for it because he’s so passionate. He loves it, he’s just so good at it. I enjoy supporting him,” Geraldine said.

But her emotions change come fight time. “It’s really, really stressful. I need to kind of sit calmly for the camera, but inside I’m like, ‘oh my gosh, let this be over’.”

In his early days Lerena insisted he’d be done with boxing by the time he was 30, but the 34-year-old, now at the peak of his earning potential and boasting a record of 31 wins and four defeats, has set a new target — reaching 50 fights.

Geraldine smiled but commented: “I hope not.”

Mrs Lerena is the CEO of their Aquiila Boxing Promotions (ABP) company.

Even while preparing for his own fight Lerena was enthusing about ABP’s next tournament scheduled for July 25, with the main bout being a grudge fight between Jarred Silverman and JD Pypers, a potential crowd-puller.

Lerena added he’d like to make a defence on an ABP show too later this year.

He has put a lot of his own activities on hold for the month, particularly obligations for his seven sponsors for whom he provides social media content.

He also has a few businesses. “That all takes care of itself. I’ve got a small team, but a good team. I’m lucky, I’ve got people who help me run the ship so my focus is training.”

Geraldine said her husband had the ability to juggle and keep on top of everything. “Kevin is such a good businessman. He’s really driven. Anything that he does, he works incredibly hard and he puts everything into it so that he will be a success at whatever he does. And if he sees it’s not going to work then he changes things before it doesn’t work.”

Lerena also flies helicopters and occasionally still puts in shifts as a paramedic when he has time on his hands.

But his sole business this month has been preparing for Merhy, who has a record of 35-3, for their contest at Charleroi, about 55km north of Brussels.

Geraldine, who will fly out later this week to join Lerena, finds comfort knowing how hard her husband has prepared. “Even his [one] sparring partner, he’s been in a lot of different camps and he said he’s never actually been in a camp where somebody works so hard. I know he’s done the hard work. I have faith in him that he’s going to perform.”