If it is anything to go by, the pugilist will not recommend a “smaller” heavyweight to extend his career from cruiserweight in this division, which caters for the bigger fighters.
But Kevin Lerena has opted to move from the cruiserweight division and find his way into the hard-hitting category of boxing.
“I am much smaller than the usual heavyweights, but I have decided that this is where I will go as a fighter from now on,” said Lerena.
“I was doing about 13kg to 14kg each time boxing as a cruiserweight to make weight, but there is a way for me to take them on.
“The heavier fighters get tired towards the end of the fight and being smaller and movable is where I will step in and draw my opponent.”
He will have a few fights in this division before taking on the more experienced boxers this year.
Well-known boxing manager and former world champion from the South Brian Mitchell has no doubts that Lerena can make it in the heavyweight division, thinking of Evander Holyfield.
Mitchell said, “He was an American former professional boxer between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and heavyweight in the early 1990s. He remains the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the three-belt era.”
The big fight, Heavyweight Mania, will take place on March 19 at Emperors Palace starting at 19:00.
Lerena will fight Bogdan Dinu from Romania for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title.
The supporting bouts will see Juan Roux, another heavyweight sensation, taking on the more experienced Joshua Pretorius in a 12-rounder heavyweight contest.
Roux boasts a record of 6/0/0 while Pretorius has a record of 7/4/0.
In the junior middleweight bout over 12 rounds, Jamie Webb will go toe to toe against the South African champion, Shervantaigh Koopnman, for the SA title. Koopman has nine fights to his credit with no losses. Webb’s record reads 6/1/0.
To book your table or ticket, contact Marrie Ellis on 061 444 5021.
