By Iqbal Khan
Durban - Kevin Lerena, South Africa’s brightest heavyweight prospect, took a verbal blasting from his opponent, Romanian Bogdan Dinu, in the final media conference ahead of Saturday’s WBA Inter-Continental title fight on the Golden Gloves bill at Emperors Palace.
The 29-year-old South African, a former cruiserweight champion, allowed the 35-year-old Romanian to bark, snarl and growl, but said afterwards that his boxing skills would do the talking when he enters the ring.
Tomorrow’s 12-round encounter is expected to be a classic between these two heavyweights.
The Romanian is proud of his record of 23 fights with only three losses, and his victories include 16 knockouts to prove that he can end this encounter early.
Lerena, on the other hand, has little to show as a heavyweight. He came up a division from cruiserweight, where he had a wonderful record of 27 fights, 26 wins (13 knockouts) and just the one loss to Johnny Muller in November 2014 at Emperors Palace.
“I’ve come a long way to be where I am and I’m not going to allow the Romanian’s showmanship to get the better of me,” southpaw Lerena said.
“I have a game plan for this fight; it’s the biggest one to date for me in my career and I will go out to silence him on the night. He can shout the odds but he must remember I’ll be more agile than him in the ring at 110kg or even less. I think he is just an overweight heavyweight shouting out empty words of courage.”
Lerena added the Romanian was using “scare tactics” as the South African believes Dinu is not the heavyweight his record claims he is.
“I’m much younger than him. I’m much lighter than him and I’m much more mobile than him in the ring. I’m quick to the punch and I know what I’m capable of in a fight for the Inter-Continental title,” Lerena said.
“It’s a dream fight for me – my first in the heavyweight division – and I want to win, and win convincingly.”
Will it go the distance?
“No way! This fight will end early and the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight belt will remain in South Africa,” said a confident Lerena as he prepared for the official weigh-in and medical check-ups yesterday.
Earlier in the night, Terence Khumalo will get another chance to impress the Golden Gloves camp when he fights Mbiya Kanku over six rounds in the middleweight division.
Promoter Rodney Berman has been very impressed with the KwaZulu-Natalian and has asked his handlers to bring him up stage-by-stage to the top before giving him a chance of fighting an international middleweight bout.
“What I’ve seen in him so far has been impressive. I believe with the right guidance we can take Terence to the top,” said Berman.
BILL
Vacant WBA Inter-continental heavyweight title (12 round): Bogdan Dinu (Romania) v Kevin Lerena (South Africa). TV: SuperSport VR3 (7.20pm), ACT (9.20pm)
SA heavyweight title (12 rounds): Joshua Pretorius v Juan Roux (champion)
SA Junior-middleweight title (12 rounds): Jamie Webb v Shervantaigh Koopman
Heavyweight (6 rounds): Shaun Potgieter v Keaton Gomes
Middleweight (6 rounds): Phikelani Terence Khumalo v Mbiya Kanku.
IOL Sport