Kevin Lerena vs. Lawrence Okolie: Anticipation builds for Wembley showdown
After what many described as a mis-match against Ukranian Serhiy Radchenko in early May, South Africa's Kevin Lerena will be looking to make a statement against Lawrence Okolie, in his WBC Bridgerweight title defence, next month at Wembley Stadium.
As Lerena points out, a number of the heavyweights have avoided jumping into the ring with the Southpaw, and fighting in the high-profile event in London on July 19 will have come like mana from heaven for the boxer as his WBC Silverweight champion, Okolie, accepted the clash.
Fights have been difficult to secure for Lerena, and a loss to Justis Huni in March last year did not help his cause. That fight in particular would have been incredibly tough for Lerena, as the bout took place the day after his mother died.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
Kevin Lerena taking some time off after Lawrence Okolie defeat
Kevin Lerena has announced his intention to take a break from boxing after his recent loss to Lawrence Okolie, reflecting on his career and planning future opportunities while prioritising family time. Photo: AFP Image: AFP Kevin Lerena has seldom tasted defeat in his boxing career, but in July 'Two Guns' was left bitterly disappointed after his loss to Lawrence Okolie for the WBC Silver Heavyweight title at a packed Wembley Stadium in London. At 33, the loss may limit Lerena's future and immediate prospects. With 35 pro fights to his name, Lerena has come away victorious in 31 of those bouts. The worrying stat for Lerena though, is that three of his four losses have come in his last six fights. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Lerena Reflects on Performance and Embraces Future Opportunities 'It didn't go my way, it wasn't my best performance, but it is what it is. At the end of the day I don't mope about my losses, I move forward and at the end of the day I went out there representing my country,' Lerena told in an exclusive interview. 'The opportunity will come around full 360 again and when it presents itself, we'll have another go. You can't win them all, and sometimes you look good, sometimes you don't look so good, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.' Lerena's Strategic Approach Lerena's previous fight was against Ukrainian Serhiy Radchenko in May in a WBC Bridgerweight bout. It was a clear mismatch as Lerena floored his opponent more than once in a fight which lasted just seconds into the third round before Radchenko's camp threw in the towel. It's not been revealed what Lerena would have earned in that headline fight at 'The Reckoning' at home in Pretoria, but it would likely have not been close to the amount he received for the Okolie fight or his high-profile loss to Daniel Dubois at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in 2022. Without admitting how much the loss will have hindered his career path in what should already be the twilight of his career, Lerena acknowledged how he will have to be careful about who he fights next, and when. 'That's so important, you've got to be smart when the fights are coming up, to take the right fight, but I'm at the point in my career now, it's about making the most monetary and official gains as well as the best fight on the biggest stages," Lerena told 'That's the direction we're heading in.'


The Citizen
30-07-2025
- The Citizen
Top African female boxers clash for WBC title in Johannesburg
South African female flyweight champion Simangele 'Smash' Hadebe, based in Johannesburg and currently rated number one in Africa by Boxrec, will face undefeated Nigerian boxer Olamiposi Kehinde Solomon. Both fighters will compete for the World Boxing Council (WBC) African female flyweight title in Johannesburg on August 30. Smash's last fight was in July this year, when she lost to Mexican boxer Gabriela Sanchez Bonita at the Zaragoza Olympic Stadium in Mexico, competing for the WBC Silver female flyweight title. During that bout, Smash fought hard, breaking Sanchez's nose with a stiff jab in the first round. She won the first two rounds and cornered Sanchez, showcasing her boxing skills. Smash's manager, Colleen McAusland, noted that Smash will be the first female to fight for the WBC Africa title on African soil. Solomon, currently rated number two by Boxrec, last fought in December 2023. This means both fighters are ready for their upcoming clash.

IOL News
26-07-2025
- IOL News
Gayton McKenzie dodges what LIV Golf event will do for development of golf in SA
Following the announcement on Saturday that LIV Golf will be heading to South Africa in 2026, SA minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie could not give a definitive answer about what the hosting of the big-money event would do for the development of the game in the country. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL Image: Michael Sherman/IOL Following the announcement on Saturday that LIV Golf will be heading to South Africa in 2026, SA Minister of Sports Gayton McKenzie did not say what the event will do for the development of golf in the country. The Saudi-funded tournament will be held at the exclusive Steyn City, in Johannesburg, from March 20 to 22 next year. The event will have a strong home contingent representing the nation with Stingers GC featuring Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace. LIV Golf events, as its name is derived from the Roman numerals for 54, have three 18-hole rounds and currently do not carry world rankings points for the tournaments. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ McKenzie on Golf's Elitist Perception and LIV's Impact on SA Golf Development With tickets well over R500 (30 US dollars per person), although children under 12 will have free entry, it's difficult to see new fans attending the event. When asked by IOL what the event will do for SA golf development, McKenzie dodged the question: 'I think the uncomfortable truth about this great sport called golf is that it has not truly broken through to the poorest of the poor or the underprivileged in our country, and the masses of black people. 'Golf is still seen, unfortunately so, despite the hard work that the people that are involved, but they've not truly made it a sport for everyone. It is still seen as an elitist sport in a country of 60 million people. 'It's an expensive sport. LIV wants, when they leave, to leave an impact behind.' McKenzie though, said local artists would also feature in the entertainment at the events. 'We're also going to have headliners, which we've discussed, which is still a surprise, but this is one of the biggest headliners in the world that will play and perform. That headliner will perform with local artists, which will also give local artists exposure.' @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport