Gloves off Kevin Lerena on the cusp of really hitting the big time
IBO champ hopes a victory will lead to a wider success
● Kevin Lerena’s reign as a standalone IBO champion is surely coming to an end.
He makes the sixth defence of his marginal world cruiserweight crown against 49-year-old German Firat Arslan in Goeppingen, near Stuttgart, on Saturday night.
Lerena should beat the former world champion, who turned professional in the previous millennium, engaging in his first fight when Lerena was just four years old.
The 27-year-old South African should be too strong, too quick and too young for him and should end this inside the distance.
But then what?
History suggests Lerena is on the cusp of a crack at one of the mainstream belts, notably those belonging to the WBA, IBF and WBC.
Win, and his new title defines his status; lose, and his tenure is over.
Lerena is still dreaming of the big time. “I hope so, I work hard for it... I hope it comes in May,” Lerena said after his final sparring session this week.
Statistics show that the IBO mantle has been a fair launching pad to bigger opportunities for SA’s boxers. To date 37 fighters have won IBO belts, more than the 20-odd who failed in their bids.
Of the titleholders, 15 challenged for bona fide crowns and seven succeeded.
In fact, one could argue that Lerena is overdue for his shot. With five defences to date, he is one behind Silence Mabuza’s six defences and two behind Tommy Oosthuizen’s record of seven for the IBO.
Vuyani Bungu defended his IBF juniorfeatherweight title 13 times and Brian Mitchell his WBA junior-lightweight belt on 12 occasions. Good champions invariably hold the better titles.
Lerena said he had turned down two offers to date for business reasons. “They weren’t lucrative enough,” he said. “We’re waiting for the right opportunity, and it will come. But we’ve got to get what we’re worth. For a unification bout, give us R3m, R4m.”
He praised promoter Rodney Berman and trainer Peter Smith for the way they’ve handled his career. “They never sell me short.”
As Lerena practised slick stinging shots against sparring partners Isaac Chilemba and Thabiso Mchunu, white butterflies floated past the giant windows of Smith’s gym.
The insects’ migration to Madagascar is less risky than fighting in Germany, where South Africans have been cheated in the past. But Berman, who is co-promoting the main fight, was unfazed, saying he had to approve the officials.
Lerena’s single biggest question mark over this bout was about taking on a man he considers a friend, having spent time in camp with him in Russia in 2015.
“The minute we both had the idea we were going to sign this fight, we phoned each other: ‘Listen, are we going to do this?’
“We decided this is business... This is boxing, we’ve got to put food on the table.
“He wants to become world champion again and I’m saying ‘I’m not going to let you’. I’ve got to do a proper job on him, I’ve got to knock him out. I have to.
“We know where we’re going.”
Lerena doesn’t mind in which round the end comes. “I just want to do it in style. Riding on this is my next fight.
“Do a good job on him and it opens up the doors for the future.”
The tournament is on SS8 from 8.45pm.
I’ve got to do a proper job on him... to knock him out Kevin Lerena
IBO cruiserweight champ