Big incentives in line for fighters
EMPERORS: BERMAN DANGLES CARROTS FOR WINNERS
Lerena’s next bout has already been scheduled for April 26.
The boxing extravaganza scheduled to be held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday will serve as a launchpad to bigger fights for the boxers involved after promoter Rodney Berman dangled several carrots for the winners.
The main bout will see South Africa’s IBO cruiserweight champion Kevin Lerena risking his crown against dangerous Ukrainian Dmytro Kucher.
The fight will have positive ramifications for the winner given the spotlight falling on the cruiserweight division which is currently matching the top eight fighters against each other for supremacy in the World Boxing Super Series.
Already some fighters have parted with their titles after being eliminated, leaving WBO/ WBC king Oleksandr Usyk and IBF/WBA monarch Murat Gassiev to battle for the honours in a date yet to be announced.
Lerena now holds the distinction of being the only other world champion besides Usyk and Gassiev and Berman wants his No 1 fighter to capitalise on that honour.
Lerena’s next fight has been scheduled as he will take on Kucher’s compatriot Roman Golovashchenko, who holds the international version of the crown, in Azerbaijan on April 26.
Kucher is taking the fight so seriously, he decided to come to the country a good three weeks in advance to acclimatise and having gone through his paces he is confident he will leave with Lerena’s title safely tucked in his luggage.
Not only will Lerena’s belt be a tantalising bait for future bargaining but the WBC silver title clash between the smallest men on the bill, Deejay Kriel and Xolisa Magusha, also offers a carrot.
The two clash in a highly-anticipated rematch of their April encounter when Kriel escaped with a close unanimous decision several ringsiders felt he was lucky to get.
Since the defeat, Magusha has gone on to win the SA mini-flyweight crown which will also be at stake on Saturday, with Berman dangling an IBO title shot for the winner.