Lerena will find ‘French Assassin’ dangerous foe
RODNEY Berman’s job is to market his September 9 tournament as much as is humanly possible, but people better believe him when he describes Kevin Lerena’s latest opponent as the biggest threat in his budding boxing career.
Lerena is now set to face Frenchman Youri Kayembre Kalenga for the vacant IBO cruiserweight crown at Emperors Palace.
Kalenga is the latest boxer to confirm participation in the show after the withdrawal of three opponents in Russians Maxim Maslov and Maksim Vlaslov as well as Nigerian Olanrewaja Durodola.
The withdrawals forced Berman to postpone the show from August 12 to September 9 giving Lerena time to prepare for this free-swinging Frenchman.
And Berman has not stopped drumming into Lerena’s head that he has to be at his utmost best against this latest foe.
The Golden Gloves Promotion [GGP] boss knows better as he featured Kalenga in his show in Monte Carlo, Monaco in November 2015.
“I watched this guy wiping the floor with Roberto Bolonti like he was nothing,” Berman recalled.
“At that time Bolonti was still a formidable force having held his own against the best but Kalenga easily handled him.”
Indeed the Frenchman dominated the bout before sending the Argentinean to dreamland.
Since then, Kalenga’s only defeat has been to current unbeaten WBA regular champion Yunier Dorticos who is one of the favourites in the Cruisersweight Super Eight Series.
The loss to Dorticos was only the third for Kalenga having suffered the previous defeat to current WBA cruiserweight super champion Denis Lebedev after his first hiccup to Arturs Kulikauskis in 26 bouts.
Punching with the power of a madman, Kalenga will without doubt be the stiffest test for the still developing Lerena’s steady climb up the ladder.
“There is no doubt that Lerena will take a giant step towards a cruiserweight summit with a win in this fight,” Berman continues.
“They say late replacement are often made for order but in this case it is the other way round. Lerena has upped the stakes by taking on this guy.”
The 29-year-old Frenchman is rated higher than Lerena in the WBA ratings at 10th spot while the local is a rug below.
Among his long list of victims is Pole Mateusz Masternak who shares a common opponent with Lerena in Johnny Muller who is responsible for the lone blemish on “Two Gunz” 19 bouts fight record although the defeat was later avenged.
Masternak lost a hotly disputed decision to Muller at Emperors Palace.
While the 25-year-old Lerena is placed in a lofty third spot in the IBF rankings, he is yet to attain Kalenga’s international accomplishments and command a similar respect.
Which is why Berman sees the bout as the ideal occasion for Lerena to display his exciting talent against a dangerous international foe. — Boxing Mecca