[LISTEN] Lerena puts his IBO strap on the line
Prospects Keaton Gomes and Lebo Mashitoa will also meet in a scheduled 10-rounder for the Gauteng cruiserweight title.
Kevin ‘Two Guns’ Lerena will make the fifth defence of his International Boxing Organisation (IBO) cruiserweight world title when he trades leather with Swiss-based Albanian challenger Sefer Seferi at Emperors Palace on Saturday night.
The fight headlines the five-bout tournament dubbed ‘Fists of Steel’ to be staged by Golden Gloves Promotions at the popular gaming and leisure resort on the East Rand.
Lerena (23-1), who successfully defended his title in June against rugged Czech Vasil Ducar, will put the IBO strap on the line which he won almost two years ago to the date against Youri Kalenga at the same venue.
The 40-year-old challenger (23 wins, 2 losses and a draw) is currently ranked 30th on the IBO top 100 computerised rankings and his only two defeats as a professional came when he stepped up to heavyweight, including a fourth-round retirement against kingpin Tyson Fury in June 2018.
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So, as promoter Rodney Berman went to great pains to point out when Lerena’s opponent was announced, Seferi is in effect unbeaten at his ideal weight (cruiserweight).
With a high knockout ratio (21 of his 26 fights have ended via the short route), Seferi may prove to be a handful for trainer Peter Smith’s superbly conditioned charge.
The impressive undercard features a potential humdinger in the winner-takes-all clash for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African and International Boxing Federation (IBF) African junior welterweight titles between unbeaten Jabulani Makhense and SA-based Congolese Marios Matamba, who also boasts an unblemished record.
