Kevin Lerena

Kevin Lerena, born on May 5, 1992, in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a distinguished professional boxer known for his ability to compete across multiple weight divisions. He was raised in a family deeply involved in horse racing, where his father, Anton, a former trainer, and his cousin, Gavin Lerena, a champion jockey, greatly influenced his early life. This upbringing instilled in him a competitive spirit and discipline, traits that would later define his boxing career.

Remarkably, Lerena entered professional boxing without any amateur experience, making his debut on November 30, 2011, with a second-round knockout victory over Justice Siliga. He quickly established himself in the cruiserweight division, capturing the South African cruiserweight title in 2015 and the IBO cruiserweight title in 2017, which he successfully defended until 2021.

In search of greater challenges, Lerena moved up to the heavyweight division, securing the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title in 2022 after knocking out Bogdan Dinu in the fourth round. Later that year, he faced Daniel Dubois for the WBA (Regular) heavyweight title, where he impressively knocked Dubois down three times in the first round before ultimately losing by stoppage in the third round.

Continuing to elevate his career, Lerena entered the bridgerweight division, winning the WBC Silver bridgerweight title in 2023 and later the WBC interim bridgerweight title. He was elevated to full WBC bridgerweight champion status in October 2024 after Lawrence Okolie vacated the title. Outside the ring, Lerena is known for his charitable efforts, notably raising a significant amount for the Animal Anti-Cruelty League during the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile horse race. His compassion was evident in March 2024 when he chose to fight Justis Huni, just one day after the passing of his mother, dedicating his performance to her memory.

Trained by Peter Smith, Lerena has shown significant growth under his coach's guidance. Smith's training has highlighted Lerena's strengths, particularly his ability to diversify his attacks. This was clearly demonstrated in Lerena’s fight against Patrick Ferguson, where he effectively employed a combination of body shots and uppercuts to secure a fifth-round stoppage.

Lerena often favors combinations that involve a straight left followed by a right hook, successfully breaking through his opponents' defenses. In his fight against Bogdan Dinu, he showcased this combination, leading to a fourth-round knockout victory.

In the December 2022 bout, Lerena took advantage of Dubois’ forward momentum, delivering a counter left hook that caught Dubois off balance and resulted in the first knockdown. Recognizing Dubois' compromised state—later attributed to a knee injury—Lerena pressed the attack, leading to two additional knockdowns in the same round. These knockdowns were a result of Lerena exploiting Dubois’ vulnerability during exchanges, rather than sheer power alone.

Against Huni, Lerena employed short left hands to disrupt Huni’s rhythm. In the tenth and final round, he unleashed a powerful left hook that visibly staggered Huni, nearly leading to a knockdown. This moment was the culmination of Lerena's consistent body work and pressure, designed to wear down Huni throughout the fight.