Celebrated boxing supremo Rodney Berman is at it again, providing a platform for Kevin Lerena to reach for the stars.
He has done that to many boxers, and the list includes Corrie “Sniper” Sanders, who won the WBO heavyweight title – the feat he achieved after knocking out defending champion Wladimir Klitschko in three rounds on March 8, 2003.
Berman’s venerated Golden Gloves company now wants Lerena to shoot for the stars. Known as “Two Guns”, his aim is to win the WBC’s newly founded bridgerweight, which is a weight between the cruiserweight and the heavyweight divisions.
Left-handed Lerena must first blow away Côte D’Ivoire-born Ryad Merhy, who fights out of Brussels, Belgium.
They will meet over 12 rounds in what is officially recognised as that weight division’s elimination at Emperors Palace, near Kempton Park, tomorrow night. The winner will earn the bragging rights to challenge for the bridgerweight belt. The WBC silver belt is also up for grabs.
For strange reasons, Merhy, who is rated No 2, is a favourite for tomorrow night, yet their fight records suggest that their match-up is evenly matched.
Lerena, who occupies the No 4 spot, has 14 knockouts in 28 wins against two losses, while Merhy has left 16 of his 31 victims counting the stars and has in turn been defeated once. Their clash will be their first in that weight division.
Lerena, 31, last fought in December when his gun jammed against WBA champion Daniel Dubois in December, who made full use of that situation which threatened his throne and subsequently stopped Lerena in the third round.
Lerena probably realised that he was not big enough in physique to campaign in that limitless weight division, and he moved down to the bridgerweight.
In the other corner, 30-year-old right-handed Merhy, a former WBA cruiserweight champ, last donned boxing gloves competitively in October 2020, when he stopped Dusan Krstin in three rounds in their non-title fight.
On the main undercard of tomorrow night’s tournament, Keaton Gomes will make the first defence of his South African heavyweight title against the former champion, Joshua Pretorius. There will be four more bouts and action will begin at 7pm.
Lerena evenly matched against Ivorian
Two Guns takes aim at bridgerweight
Image: Supplied
Celebrated boxing supremo Rodney Berman is at it again, providing a platform for Kevin Lerena to reach for the stars.
He has done that to many boxers, and the list includes Corrie “Sniper” Sanders, who won the WBO heavyweight title – the feat he achieved after knocking out defending champion Wladimir Klitschko in three rounds on March 8, 2003.
Berman’s venerated Golden Gloves company now wants Lerena to shoot for the stars. Known as “Two Guns”, his aim is to win the WBC’s newly founded bridgerweight, which is a weight between the cruiserweight and the heavyweight divisions.
Left-handed Lerena must first blow away Côte D’Ivoire-born Ryad Merhy, who fights out of Brussels, Belgium.
They will meet over 12 rounds in what is officially recognised as that weight division’s elimination at Emperors Palace, near Kempton Park, tomorrow night. The winner will earn the bragging rights to challenge for the bridgerweight belt. The WBC silver belt is also up for grabs.
For strange reasons, Merhy, who is rated No 2, is a favourite for tomorrow night, yet their fight records suggest that their match-up is evenly matched.
Lerena, who occupies the No 4 spot, has 14 knockouts in 28 wins against two losses, while Merhy has left 16 of his 31 victims counting the stars and has in turn been defeated once. Their clash will be their first in that weight division.
Lerena, 31, last fought in December when his gun jammed against WBA champion Daniel Dubois in December, who made full use of that situation which threatened his throne and subsequently stopped Lerena in the third round.
Lerena probably realised that he was not big enough in physique to campaign in that limitless weight division, and he moved down to the bridgerweight.
In the other corner, 30-year-old right-handed Merhy, a former WBA cruiserweight champ, last donned boxing gloves competitively in October 2020, when he stopped Dusan Krstin in three rounds in their non-title fight.
On the main undercard of tomorrow night’s tournament, Keaton Gomes will make the first defence of his South African heavyweight title against the former champion, Joshua Pretorius. There will be four more bouts and action will begin at 7pm.
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