WHEN requested about being this near preventing for a WBA heavyweight title in opposition to Daniel Dubois this Saturday in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Kevin Lerena laughs.
“It’s fairly surreal, isn’t it?”
Oh, it’s.
Neglect that the WBA title up for grabs is a spurious one at greatest, with the “actual” champions among the many massive boys being Oleksandar Usyk and the person headlining this weekend’s occasion in opposition to Derek Chisora, Tyson Fury. However the surreal a part of this matchup is {that a} yr in the past, South Africa’s Lerena had simply introduced that he was leaving the cruiserweight division to compete with the massive boys. Two wins later, right here he’s.
That’s so much to soak up, but when he’s rattled, you may’t hear it in his voice.
“I’m simply grateful to be on this place and clearly we’ve labored actually laborious to get right here and I simply wish to capitalise and profit from my profession,” he mentioned. “I’ve received perhaps 4, 5 years left, I’m 30 years outdated now, so the following 4 or 5 years, I would like them to be the very best that I may have imagined.”
A win over the Londoner could be a great begin as he seems to be to affix countrymen Gerrie Coetzee, Francois Botha and Corrie Sanders as heavyweight belt-holders for his nation, and he’s proud to not simply symbolize South Africa, however to indicate that heavyweight standouts might be constructed at residence, one thing he credit veteran promoter Rodney Berman for.
“Lots of people to migrate and journey abroad to hunt extra alternative,” mentioned Johannesburg’s Lerena. “Sadly, if it doesn’t go your manner abroad, there’s nothing occurring for you, and with the robust promoters I’ve received in South Africa, I’ve all the time been capable of hold busy and have good fights in opposition to good names. For instance, take a look at my final two fights: Mariusz Wach is a family identify and a gatekeeper of the division, and Bogdan Dinu. Had I not had these fights, I wouldn’t have gotten this shot. Sure, I gained these fights and I gained them properly, but when my promoter didn’t put these fights on I wouldn’t get this chance. So I all the time had the thought of staying at residence till I received the decision. And we actually received the decision from Frank Warren.”
Kevin Lerena fights Daniel Dubois on December 3 in England (Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions)
The explanation was most likely a easy one. Dubois is getting a payday earlier than the top of the yr, and as he hopes to get a crack at former cruiserweight king Usyk in 2023, preventing a southpaw who’s a former cruiserweight is right. So sure, Lerena, who’s 6-foot-1 and weighed in at 233 ¾ kilos for his final struggle with Wach in September, is the underdog to the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Dubois. Not that Lerena hesitated when approached with this golden alternative.
“Once they phoned me straight, they mentioned, ‘Would you prefer to struggle Daniel Dubois for the WBA world title.’ I mentioned, ‘Sure, ship me the contract.’”
It’s comprehensible, whether or not Lerena actually believes he can win or not. In a boxing ring with heavyweights, something can occur. However the South African was spectacular in halting Dinu in 4 rounds and almost shutting out Wach over 12. And having avenged the one loss on his 28-1 (14 KOs) file to Johnny Muller in 2014 by stopping his rival two years later, he’s proven to have the ability to take care of adversity, one thing many skeptics nonetheless surprise about in relation to Dubois after his solely loss to Joe Joyce in 2020. Lerena just isn’t a type of skeptics.
“Me and Joe Joyce are very completely different fighters, to be sincere,” mentioned Lerena. “And clearly, Daniel Dubois misplaced that struggle, however a person comes again from a loss so much stronger often, so I don’t take a look at that. My benchmark’s not the Joe Joyce struggle; my benchmark is the person in entrance of me and the way he appeared in his final struggle and in his final struggle [against Trevor Bryan] he was a hit and he appeared actually good, so I’ve received to beat a very good opponent who I do know could be very robust, it’s no secret, however, on the finish of the day, abilities are what win the fights and now we have a recreation plan and we all know what we have to do to win.”
If Lerena does pull off the upset, his complete world will change in a single day. I ask him if he’s prepared for what occurs after December 3 if he goes residence with a championship belt in his carry-on bag.
“I can let you know what I’m prepared for,” he mentioned. “I’m able to expertise boxing on the highest degree and no matter comes with boxing on the highest degree. I’ve labored so laborious my complete profession and issues are beginning to unfold now, and no matter comes afterwards is simply a part of the package deal; it’s a part of boxing. So I have to embrace it and respect it.”
It’s right here the place being an enormous fish in a small pond in South Africa helps him. If Lerena was competing within the UK or the USA, maybe he wouldn’t be adopted by all the foremost papers and media shops like he’s at residence. And after testing constructive for the banned substance Clomiphene in November 2018, he was firmly within the crosshairs of protection that attacked from all angles. Finally cleared by the IBO for the VADA violation as a result of he mistakenly took the feminine fertility pill which was really prescribed for his spouse, Gina, Lerena did learn how life is on the opposite aspect of the highlight, and when he will get nearer to the largest struggle of his profession he shouldn’t be a deer in headlights, even when there are 70,000 headlights beaming down on him.
“What I can say is I’ve received a number of nerves for this event,” Lerena admits. “It’s an enormous event, however nerves are your best ally for those who use them for you. I’ve received all the pieces to achieve. He’s received a number of stress as a result of I’m coming for what he’s received. So I’ve received these nerves that I’m channeling in the appropriate path, and 70,000 individuals might be shouting for him and jeering me, but it surely’s solely me and Daniel Dubois preventing heart ring. It’s two warriors colliding. I don’t again down and I’m certain he doesn’t, so it makes for an ideal struggle.”
