His uncle Tex is a former jockey, who, until recently, was the chairman of the South African Jockey’s Association.

Kevin Garnett Body Statistics: Weight in Pounds: 240 lbs Weight in Kilogram: 109 kg Height in Feet: 6′ 11″ Height in Meters: 2.11 m Body Build/Type: Athletic Chest: 44 in (112 cm) Biceps: 16 in (41 cm) Waist: 33 in (84 cm) Shoe Size: 15 (US) Kevin Garnett Family Details: Father: O’Lewis McCullough Mother: Shirley Garnett Spouse: Brandi Padilla (m. 2004) Children: Capri Garnett … We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I’ve got the skill-set to do so. March 14 – Igor Pylypenko – UD 6, 2014 Best night of pro career: Lerena is most pleased with his most recent performance when he won the “Super Four” tournament, besting Micki Nielsen in the final round by majority decision. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Until 2011, Lerena was a keen rugby player; he also dabbled as a bouncer at nightclubs and formed a security firm that looked after global star Justin Bieber ahead of a concert in 2014. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. On November 15, 2014 Lerena lost by unanimous decision (UD) to Johnny Muller.

That said, Lerena makes no excuses for the loss, conceding that he let that match slip away. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.

Twitter: @kevin_ko_lerena.

He also enjoys sport shooting and is a regular on the shooting range. I had dreamed to be a jockey from around the age of nine, so I was pretty devastated…It was the end of a dream. The one time he traveled, he went to Denmark, admittedly against a journeyman but it provided a valuable learning curve.

> And because of his popularity in South Africa, Lerena is ideally positioned to nurture his local support structure and capitalize on Banner’s connections with U.S. television networks and a larger pool of opponents. The scheduled 10-round contest takes place at the opulent Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, which is just 25 minutes from his home. After a couple of subsequent wins, one of which gave him South Africa’s cruiserweight championship, Lerena got the chance to exact revenge against Muller in a bout where he defended his new title and also picked up the WBA Pan-African 200-pound strap. But although he first entered a gym at 14, Lerena had virtually no amateur experience because South Africa’s unpaid ranks are extremely thin at the higher weights. Known in years past as "Sin City" and "Babylon on the St. Lawrence", it saw more than its share of ring legends over the decades. However, he is durable and, despite the layoff, will be expected to give Lerena rounds. Promoter: Golden Gloves SA In his five-year career, Lerena has experienced weight fluctuations, weighing in excess of 200 pounds for seven of his bouts. – George Foreman. / 86.2 kg). Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. A 19-year-old Lerena made his professional debut on November 30, 2011 against Justice Siliga. I want to do as much as I can at cruiserweight over the next two to three years. Data may be incomplete and inaccurate, Won vacant WBA Pan African cruiserweight title, Won vacant WBC Youth Silver cruiserweight title. He suffered his last loss when he faced Yoan Pablo Hernandez in 2014 (Hernandez vs Arslan), since then he has collected one draw and 13 victories beating Ricardo … Kevin Lerena has not won any of the four major world titles (WBC, WBO, IBF, WBA). But those fights taught me a lot because nothing is more important than ring time, especially when you lack amateur experience.”, Kevin Lerena’s literal trial by combat progression has also forced him to overcome an early setback to veteran Johnny Mulller, a South African national champion at light heavyweight and one-time Oleksandr Usyk victim. In halting Muller, Lerena exorcised some demons and silenced his critics, effectively demonstrating one of the most important attributes a pugilist can possess: the ability to genuinely grow following a loss.

Lerena‚ who will bid for his third defence‚ tipped the scale at 90.45kg. Most compelling is that of Lerena’s 17 career bouts, seven have been scheduled 10 or 12 rounders.

June 11 – Roberto Feliciano Bolonti – UD 10 Height: 6-feet-1 inches (185 cm) Kevin Lerena, keenly aware of this history and tradition, wants to join that elite group, reinvigorate the sport in his country, and be recognized as a standard-bearer for South African boxing. He brings a lot of experience and ring craft to the table.”. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. At a passive glance, Lerena’s 16-1 ledger doesn’t cause one to pause, but greater scrutiny reveals an impressive breadth of experience for a 24-year-old upstart. “Incredibly he’s never had an amateur fight, yet he is a natural and every fight brings him on in leaps and bounds. And yet, ever the critic, Lerena admits that at times he was too concerned with Nielsen’s punching power and offensive prowess. KEVIN LERENA He took those rounds, but when I got off the stool in nine and ten, I knew I had the power to knock him out.”. Of his 17 fights, 16 have taken place in South Africa. Zepeda Destroys Barachynk in Vegas (Report), Young Chavez Barrientes Scores Victory in Magsayo’s Show. “(My) best performance is (against) Micki Nielsen,” Lerena told RingTV.com. I dominated the first four rounds. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 2016 11 and the WBO at No. Birth place: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, Residence: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The 24-year-old loves to play golf and still follows horse racing. Trainer: Peter Smith With that, he’s won all, bar one, of his fights to date.

Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. The division was established in order to accommodate smaller heavyweight boxers who could not compete with the growing size of boxers in that division.

Kazakhstani-born‚ … “He’s able to absorb shots quite well. When originally established, the weight limit was 190 pounds (13st. Lerena is currently ranked by three of the four sanctioning bodies, the WBA ranks him at No. Sept. 29 – Gogita Gorgiladze – KO 3 But, as has become the theme of Lerena’s young career, he learned from the experience. Best night of pro career: Lerena is most pleased with his most …

I started riding at 12 and had my first race at 15, which I won. To his credit, he’s been more disciplined of late and has weighed just inside the cruiserweight limit in his last four outings. Kazakhstani-born‚ … Micki Nielsen (22-0, 14 KOs) and Kevin Lerena (15-1, 8 KOs) both made weight today ahead of the final of the ‘Super 4’ cruiserweight tournament … Required fields are marked *. March 26 – Gerson Singo – KO 1, Your email address will not be published. “I came into the fight with a better game plan because Johnny Muller is a very tough opponent,” says Lerena. Age: 24 The Muller triumph propelled Lerena into a “Super 4” single elimination tournament, which was crucial in securing his top-15 rankings in the WBC and WBO.

“By the end of this year I’d like to be firmly in the top ten. Story lines: Lerena grew up in Johannesburg on a farm. The shadow cast by boxing’s heavyweights has long loomed over the sadly dismissed cruiserweight division, much to the detriment of boxing fans eager to see fighters with intriguing combinations of skill, size, and punching power. Part of Lerena’s focus and dedication comes from the desire to carry forward the mantle of South Africa’s rich boxing history. He was able to rebound from the loss with two wins before gaining a measure of revenge, stopping the only man to beat him. “I need to sharpen up my skills to an even higher level,” he said, “so I can take the boys on at the top and beat them.”. At this juncture of his career, one of Lerena’s greatest mental hurdles is balancing the need to focus on the present while acknowledging exactly what’s at stake in terms of his short-term prospects. And although the sport’s glamour division has seen a recent uptick in quality and depth, the current micro resurgence at heavyweight has fortunately coincided with renewed Stateside interest in boxing’s 200-pounders. Noting that an amateur fighter above 165 pounds could end up facing the same opponent six times in a calendar year due to the dearth of viable opposition, Lerena decided to gamble on himself and turn professional at 18. Feb. 16 – Javier Corrales – UD 6, 2012 “It was a division that went quiet at one stage, but if you look at the guys at the top – Tony Bellew, Oleksandr Usyk – it’s a weight class that has good champions.

July 30 – Deon Coetzee – UD 12 Kevin Lerena is a South African professional boxer. In fact, I hurt him during those rounds. He’s also looked to test himself with high-level sparring against then WBC cruiserweight champion Grigory Drozd, former title challengers Thabiso Mchunu and Isaac Chilemba, as well as world-ranked Tommy Oosthuizen.

But I gave him five, six, seven, and eight because I fell back into my bad habits. He is married to wife Gina and the couple have a young son Brooklyn, both being his No. The last fight of Kevin Lerena took place on February 8, 2020 against His promoter, Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves SA, is very high on his young fighter. Lerena has a full life away from boxing. Since Evander Holyfield vacated his cruiserweight titles in favour of heavyweight glory, the weight class has taken on a decidedly international flare, with David Haye, Jean Marc Mormeck, Yoan Pablo Hernandez, Steve Cunningham, Denis Lebedev, Murat Gassiev, and the aforementioned Huck, Glowacki, and Usyk (amongst others) distinguishing themselves at various points. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. However, could his lack of amateur experience become apparent as he reaches world-level, in a talent-laden division? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website.

See instructions, PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDEN GLOVES PROMOTIONS. This site uses cookies and other technologies, so we can remember you and understand how you and other visitors use our site. For more information, see our Cookie Policy. A metropolis where hundreds of young warriors train and battle each day in its many gyms, it is where Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Bernard Hopkins all found greatness. The current weight limit for the division is 200 pounds (14 stone 4 pounds / 90.7 kg).