South African boxer Kevin Lerena, the World Boxing Council (WBC) bridgerweight world champion, is preparing for a significant moment in his career: defending his title at home against Serhiy Radchenko this Thursday. This fight brings Lerena full circle after competing globally and even sharing the ring with the legendary Tyson Fury in sparring sessions.
Lerena holds a professional record of 30 wins (14 by knockout) and 3 losses in 33 fights. He claimed the interim WBC bridgerweight championship in October of the previous year when Lawrence Okolie vacated the title.
Considered one of South Africa`s most accomplished active combat athletes, alongside UFC middleweight world champion Dricus du Plessis, Lerena is deeply committed to fostering new talent within the boxing scene. He regards boxing as the nation`s premier combat sport, citing its rich historical legacy.
Lerena highlighted the potential for growth in the sport, noting, “In South Africa, Dricus has exploded on the MMA scene [locally] and worldwide, but in boxing, we`ve got a little bit more of a platform for more than one person. I think there`s definitely a space for developing the sport… It`s no secret I`m involved in developing the sport.” He mentioned his role as an ambassador for Aquila Boxing Promotions and initiatives by trainer Peter Smith and his brother Sean Smith to launch their own promotions.
Trainer Peter Smith emphasized the difference between fighting abroad and the potential at home: “Kevin and I go fight in the UK. We`ve got 60,000 people to walk out to. You don`t understand. You see a ring like this and 60,000 people. We want to bring people back to sport to come and support South Africans… If we`re all looking through the same glass, we`re going to end up with guys that the youth can look up to, like they look up to Kevin.”
Now 32, Lerena stated his drive remains as strong as when he first discovered boxing in his mid-teens and connected with Smith. He recalled, “I first found the sport of boxing at about the age of 15, 16. When I was playing rugby at school, I`d always train boxing. I enjoyed the element of the fight sport, but I only really got into the sport when I turned 17 or 18 – when I joined Peter. I turned professional at 18 years old and the rest is history.”
Reflecting on his journey, he added, “I never, ever thought I`d be a world champion. I was just trying to get through my first few fights winning and then when you`ve got a belief in the system that you`ve been taught, in my trainer, you`ve got an ability to learn and the confidence grows with it.”
A highlight for Lerena was the opportunity to spar with one of his admired boxers, Tyson Fury. Their connection began when Lerena fought on the undercard of Fury`s third fight against Derek Chisora in 2022, where Lerena faced Daniel Dubois. Lerena explained, “I was co-main event when Tyson Fury fought Derek Chisora, so we struck up a relationship there. He asked me if I would come into camp when he fought [Oleksandr] Usyk. That`s how we struck up the relationship.”
Commenting on how Fury succeeds despite not having the typical physique of many champions, Lerena observed, “Athletic ability does play a role. As much as he doesn`t have a physique [traditionally associated with a world class boxer], he`s got athletic ability in the sense that he`s got a phenomenal gas tank. Conventional heavyweight champions don`t look like him, but at the same time, some of them don`t box like him. The guys who are super built don`t have that ring IQ [and] don`t have that movement for a big man.”
Although Fury announced his retirement in January, speculation about a return continues. For Lerena, his journey is driven by the challenging start to his career and the enduring support of his late mother, who passed away in March 2024.
Lerena shared his early struggles: “When I turned professional, I was working three jobs. No-one cares about a pity story… My mom was a single working-class lady. She worked and I went to school and did my thing, but when I finished school, I had to get into working because we didn`t have money to go to university. I had to say to myself: `What do I want to do? Do I want to study or do I want to do this professional sport thing?`”
He continued, detailing the effort required for boxing: “In order to do the professional boxing, I had to work three jobs. I had to work as a boxing trainer on Sean Smith`s floor. I had to help George and Peter`s brother, Sean. He has a security firm and I worked for him as a bouncer to earn some extra cash. I had a lot of hunger in me to try and do well. That`s why we are [here] now: I`ve still got that hunger. It`s never enough. It`s not that I`m greedy. I just feel like I just want to maximise, so when I die one day, I can say I`ve tried my best to do as much as I can. Nobody can say: `He was a lazy b****rd.` Nobody can say that.`”
Even becoming a world champion didn`t lead Lerena to excessive celebration. He values personal connections over accolades, stating, “When it`s all said and done, the belts are going to be on the shelf gathering dust. I can`t celebrate that. I celebrate what means a lot to me in the sense of my family.”
He concluded, emphasizing his core belief: “When it`s all said and done, belts gather dust on the wall, the friends become few, everyone fades away but your family and your loved ones are the only ones that are there. That`s what I celebrate.”