The boxer who survived helicopter crash and testified at Pistorius trial

BBC News

03-07-2025

With the crushing weight of loss and grief pressing down on him, Kevin Lerena sank heavily into the couch in his dressing room.The South African heavyweight had just gone the distance in a razor-thin contest against Australian prospect Justis Huni in Saudi Arabia. He rocked Huni in the final round but could not land the decisive blow.For most boxers, coming so agonisingly close to victory is tough to swallow. For Lerena, though, there was a sense of deep relief.A day earlier he received the devastating news that his mother had died in South Africa."I was just glad that the fight was over and I could go home and lay my mother to rest," he told BBC Sport.The fact that Lerena stepped into the ring at all speaks volumes about his mental strength, but he says withdrawing was never an option."I was not at home to be with her when she suddenly passed, but I kept quiet and put on my strong armour to represent myself, my country and my family," he added."It was tough, though. It took an emotional toll on me. I'm only human and I felt it in the fight. I felt drained and fatigued."On 19 July Lerena will face Briton Lawrence Okolie at Wembley Stadium in the latest chapter in an extraordinary life full of highs, lows and true cinematic drama.Lerena has dropped a future heavyweight world champion three times in the first round. He has walked away from a helicopter crash. And he has been a key witness in one of the most high-profile murder trials of the 21st Century.
'I gave Dubois his toughest fight'
Born and raised in Johannesburg, rugby was Lerena's first passion. But when that dream faded he shifted focus to boxing and discovered a talent for pugilism.Now 32, he has racked up 33 professional wins with three defeats and is no stranger to the big stage.British fight fans will remember Lerena for nearly pulling off a seismic upset against Daniel Dubois - the current IBF heavyweight champion - at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022.Dubois was floored three times inside the first round, visibly stunned after the first knockdown and nursing what appeared to be a knee injury.Lerena pressed forward but Dubois dropped him in the third and finished it with a barrage that forced the referee to intervene."I was fighting back but the referee stopped it," Lerena reflected."It was what it was. I can't harp on about it. In my mind, I know I gave Daniel his hardest and toughest test to date."Lerena's strong performances against Dubois and Huni raised his reputation as a credible heavyweight contender.Tyson Fury is a fan and enlisted Lerana for sparring in the build-up to the Briton's two fights against Oleksandr Usyk.
Lerena distances himself from Pistorius case
Lerena could be a much bigger name if he chose to lean into the headlines his life has generated but says that is not his "style" and he would rather distance himself from his past.In 2014 he appeared in courtroom testimony during the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius.Lerena testified that Pistorius was responsible for a gun being fired at a restaurant a year before the Paralympic sprint champion shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp."It was a negative time. I do not want to bring negativity into my life, and I do not have any affiliation with those people," he said."What happened then during that time for Oscar and for the Steenkamp family was terrible, but it's got nothing to do with me and I don't believe in building your profile on such events."Later, Lerena mentions walking away from a helicopter crash with minor injuries in 2021, an experience which would define most but for him is just another footnote."It was a training accident. I have got my pilot licence. It's a pity because it shouldn't have happened," he said."We were doing a simulation, and the conditions were wrong and a lot was against us. But I guess if you put yourself in those situations there is always that risk."
Okolie up against the 'warrior spirit'
Lerena goes into the ring as the underdog against former cruiserweight world champion Okolie. A victory over the Londoner would only add to his remarkable story.If Lerena does lose, though, it will not be for want of heart or effort."I have that warrior spirit. I always try my best to dig deep. I have not been handed a silver spoon in life and I have not been handed a silver spoon in boxing either," he said.While Lerena is clear he wants his fists to do the talking, his life - from near-death experiences to courtroom drama - has played out like a Hollywood thriller.Asked who would play him in a movie, Lerena picks Twilight star Taylor Lautner.His battles may not involve vampires or teenage angst but - outside of the ring at least - Lerena's story is every bit as dramatic.