The two former cruiserweight contenders SA’s Kevin ‘2 Guns’ Lerena and Belgium’s Ryad Merhy fought 12 rounds to challenge the World Boxing Council (WBC) bridgerweight world title winner.
South African boxer Kevin ‘2 Guns’ Lerena after his win against Belgium’s Ryad Merhy. Picture: @Kevlerenaboxing/Twitter.
JOHANNESBURG – SA boxing champion Kevin Lerena said he had a solid game plan in Saturday’s fight against Belgium’s Ryad Merhy.
“It was my game plan to push him back and apply pressure that’s why he was on the back foot,” Lerena told Eyewitness News.
Lerena aka ‘2 Guns’ ((29-2, 14 KOs) fought Merhy ((31-2, 26 KOs) at ‘The Eliminator’ Box and Dine Tournament at Emperor’s Palace on Saturday.
Lerena moved forward throughout the fight while Merhy fought on the back foot.
“The fight went as I thought it would, like a chess match,” said the 31-year-old.
After dancing for 12 rounds with Merhy, Lerena walked away with WBC silver belt which confirms that he’s now in line to challenge current WBC bridgerweight champion Poland’s Lucasz Rozanski for the world title.
The Polish recently captured the vacant title with a first-round blowout of Croatia’s Alen Babic.
A former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) cruiserweight world champion, Lerena told Eyewitness News that boxing is a sport where one continuously learns a new lesson.
“Loads of things to learn, we’re always learning in the sport.”
This win is Lerena’s opportunity to be South Africa’s third WBC champion.
Mzansi has only ever produced two WBC world champions.
READ MORE:
– ‘I want to reign supreme’: SA’s Lerena ready for his 12 round bout with Merhy
– SA’s Lerena ready to dance 12 rounds with Belgium’s Merhy
– Britain’s Dubois retains belt in boxing bout against SA’s Lerena
FILE: South Africa’s Kevin ‘2 Guns’ Lerena will be fighting Britain’s Daniel Dubois on Saturday 3 December 2022 for the WBA (Regular) heavyweight championship title. Picture: kevinlerena/Instagram
The South African, who brings fast hands, fitness and southpaw style posted a video on his Twitter saying: “There is no better feeling than waking up victorious the morning after. A couple of bumps and bruises otherwise all good. Victorious and happy as F***. Back to winning ways, you know what time it is, that’s what’s up next,” said Lerena on Twitter.
Woke up feeling proud
Thank you all so much pic.twitter.com/DPA5E6rZCT‘ Kevin Lerena (@Kevlerenaboxing) May 14, 2023
In 2022, Lerena fought Daniel Dubois for the WBA regular heavyweight title on a bill headlined by Tyson Fury and Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Britain’s Daniel Dubois held on to his WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight title after three visits to the canvas to stop South Africa’s Kevin Lerena in the third round on the Fury-Chisora bill in Tottenham.
Dubois was knocked down by a left hook and then seemed to take a knee twice, but somehow turned the fight around and stopped South Africa’s Lerena in the third rounds.
A former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) cruiserweight world champion, ‘2 Guns’ says that the great thing about sports is that it brings everyone together no matter what walk of life they are from.
“Work hard, stay humble and surround yourself with good people,” said the athlete as a parting short.
