South African heavyweight Kevin Lerena is anticipating his upcoming fight against Lawrence Okolie at Wembley Stadium next month, expressing hope for a potential upset victory.
Lawrence Okolie, with a record of 21 wins (16 by knockout) and 1 loss, previously held the WBO cruiserweight world title, which he won by knocking out Krzysztof Glowacki in 2021. He successfully defended it three times before unexpectedly losing to Chris Billam-Smith in 2023.
Following that loss, the London-based fighter moved up to claim the WBC bridgerweight title by defeating Lukasz Rozanski. He then made his heavyweight debut in December, securing his second consecutive first-round knockout victory against Hussein Muhamed.
Now ranked as the WBC`s top heavyweight contender, Okolie is in a strong position for a shot at the prestigious heavyweight championship. However, his upcoming bout against Kevin Lerena (31 wins, 3 losses, 15 KOs) on the Usyk-Dubois undercard in London is considered his first significant test in the heavyweight division.
Lerena acknowledged that the fight against Okolie will require absolute precision, stating there will be “no room for error.” He expressed confidence that his fighting style will present challenges for Okolie.
Describing Okolie, Lerena stated, “He is a very good boxer, a long, rangy guy.” He added, “He will use a lot of backhands, long right hands, and rely on his jab. But I have a knack for neutralizing the jab and making opponents miss and then making them pay.”
Lerena clarified his own style, saying, “I am certainly not a purely technical, awkward, or boring southpaw. I come to fight, but I believe my strategy against Lawrence needs to be calculated. I`ll be aggressive, but with precision and without errors. There’s absolutely no room for mistakes against Lawrence Okolie.”
Lerena’s recent record shows three wins and two losses in his last five fights. Despite the defeats, which both occurred outside South Africa, ‘The KO Kid’ earned considerable praise for his performances.
In his bout against Daniel Dubois (now the IBF heavyweight champion), Lerena knocked him down three times in the first round before being stopped himself in the third. More recently, in March 2024 in Saudi Arabia, he nearly stopped Justis Huni in the final round of their contest.
Reflecting on those experiences, Lerena shared his intention to adopt a more calculated approach when he has an opponent hurt in future fights.
He stated, “I need to finish them. I know I can hurt them. Everyone knows I have explosive hands and power, but when I get them hurt, I must finish the job.”
He continued, “I believe there’s a calculated method for that. Sometimes, going all-out and throwing everything you have isn’t the best approach; it’s about being selective with your shots.”
“You might throw a rapid flurry of 25 punches, but if only two connect, it’s ineffective,” he explained. “Therefore, you need to be calculated, and that’s precisely what I aim to do in this fight, should the opportunity arise.”
