Easiest payday for Lerena
The superbly conditioned South African controlled the fight from the first bell and by the end of the second round, even the uninitiated boxing fan could tell that an early finish was looming.
Kevin Lerena is unlikely to have an easier payday in his boxing career than he had against Sefer Seferi at Emperor’s Palace last weekend.
Lerena (24-1-11 KO’s), whose fight headlined the ‘Fists of Steel’ Box n’ Dine tournament, encountered meek resistance from the Swiss-based Albanian challenger (23-3-1-21 KO’s) before stopping him inside three rounds to retain his IBO cruiserweight world title for the fifth time.
He dropped Seferi to his knees with a left in the third round and despite seeming unhurt; the challenger appeared reluctant to regain his feet as referee Jean Robert Laine waved the fight over without completing a full 10-count.
[LISTEN] Lerena puts his IBO strap on the line
While Lerena’s management and promotions company Golden Gloves have some tough choices to make to plot the way forward for their charge, a career-defining cruiserweight unification route is not out of the question, but the South African kingpin has also hinted he may prefer to step up to the heavyweight division.
In the main supporting bout, Jabulani Makhense (9-0) added the IBF African welterweight title to his WBA continental crown, beating the previously unbeaten Marios Matamba (DRC) on a majority points decision (114-114, 117-111 and 116-112).
Southpaw Lebo Mashitoa captured the vacant Gauteng cruiserweight title with a 10-round split decision (98-92, 99-91 and 94-96) over Keaton Gomes.
House fighters Aidan Quin (junior middleweight) and light-heavyweight prospect Michael Markram both ended on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards. Quin lost on points to Thembani Mhlanga and Markram lost a split decision to Mduduzi Moyo.
