I’ve put heavyweight boxing back on map for SA – Lerena

It is show time for Kevin “Two Guns” Lerena to deliver because veteran promoter Rodney Berman delivered to Lerena the high-profile heavyweight fight the former IBO cruiserweight champion demanded.

Lerena, who won the WBA Inter-Continental title in his second fight in the heavyweight division on March 22, faces WBA regular champion Daniel Dubois at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday night.

Berman was influential in making this fight happen through negotiations with Frank Warren – the English promoter – whose Queensberry Promotions included the fight against Dubois in his tournament.

Topping the card will be a WBC heavyweight championship between holder Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora. It will be their third fight. Fury defeated the UK-based Zimbabwean in their previous fights.

Dubois, 25, from Greenwich in England won the WBA regular title in August last year and will bid for the first defence in what will be his 20th fight. Dubois has knocked out 17 of his 18 opponents and has only been stopped once.

It was Lerena who called out the big and strong champion for this showdown, which to many fight fans here came too soon for their countryman. Lerena’s Instagram post read: “What are you scared of? You can run, but you can’t hide. You can duck me, you can try to avoid me. But eventually, our paths will cross.”

Lerena and his team landed in London on Sunday: “Big fight; Excited, Big opportunity for SA …  I’ve put heavyweight boxing back on the map for South Africa. I got a tough fight but I’ve prepared. Now I must stick to my game plan and I will win. Daniel Dubois is big and strong but he doesn’t have my hand speed. I’ve had the best prep. Now it’s up to me to go do the business,” Lerena said in a text message.

In his last fight Lerena won a 10 rounds decision over Mariusz Wach. He has 28 wins in 29 fights, with 14 knockouts.