He chats on the phone with boxing greats Floyd Mayweather and Tyson Fury, and he’s knocked out many an opponent with his iron fist, but when Kevin Lerena gets home to his four kids, he’s just a big teddy bear.
In a month’s time, the Johannesburg boxer will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) bridgerweight title against Ukrainian Serhiy Radchenko. It is the first time the WBC title will be defended in South Africa, and Lerena is laser-focused when it comes to his preparation.
“I’m mentally prepared, and this is the best physical shape I’ve been in [in] my whole career,” he told the Sunday Times, sporting a blue eye from a gruelling day. “I did eight rounds of sparring today and still had a lot in the tank.”
South Africa is rooting for him. Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie sent him a shout-out on social media. His friend, rapper Cassper Nyovest, who has hosted amateur boxing events over the years, is among his fan base. Mayweather and Fury both messaged him words of support while he was sparring.
There’s life after boxing. I’m very goal-driven. Everything I’ve wanted to do in my life I’ve ticked off [the list] and achieved
— Kevin Lerena
“I’m motivated. I want to do my country proud. I am very fortunate I’m able to tap into the best who have ever done it. I can pick up the phone and get Floyd Mayweather and Tyson Fury. I lean on them because they’ve done it. If those people recognise what I am doing here at home in South Africa, that means I am doing something right.”
Despite the demands of his sport, Lerena prioritises his family life.
He is a devoted father of four. He has two children (son Brooklyn, 10, and daughter Evana, eight) from his first marriage, as well as a couple of boys (Malakai, two, and six-month-old Maximus) from his current one.
“My kids are my life — they are the reason I got to where I am. It was because I had those two children when I was very young and had to work hard to put food on the table [that I made it]. Now that they are a bit older, everything has fallen into place.
“My life revolves around spending quality time with my children and my wife, Geraldine. What makes me the fighter I am is that I have a lot of responsibility. I need to be an example for my kids.
“My wife is super supportive, but it’s hard for her to watch me fight. It’s also hard for the kids to watch me fight. I pray for no injuries, and for me and my opponent to make it home safely to our families. That’s the prayer I say before getting into the ring.”
But Lerena is no one-trick pony. He is a qualified medic and obtained his private pilot’s licence in 2020.
“The reason I did all these things is because there’s more to me than just boxing. There’s life after boxing. I’m very goal-driven. Everything I’ve wanted to do in my life I’ve ticked off [the list] and achieved.
“Over the years, I’ve worked hard at my sport, but I’ve also kept evolving, studying and applying myself to keep my brain sharp. That’s going to give me a boost when I hang up my gloves one day.”
Back in 2014, Lerena was a crucial state witness in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. During the hearing, Pistorius was accused of having fired a gun in a Tashas restaurant in Johannesburg. The former “Blade Runner” denied the allegation, but Lerena testified Pistorius had asked a friend to take the blame for the incident.
“What happened to Oscar is very sad because he was a superstar and he lost his career. I felt for him. On the other hand, given what happened to Reeva Steenkamp, I couldn’t imagine the pain her parents must have felt after losing their child.” He said he and Pistorius had not been close friends and therefore it had been “easy to walk away”.
Lerena says he plans to hang up his gloves within five years, but before then he wants to go up to the heavyweight division again and fight for the world title. He also wants to change the way people view boxing in South Africa and provide a platform for South African boxers to hone their skills.
Lerena is also itching to get back into the ring with British boxer Daniel Dubois.
“Daniel and I have unfinished business. We fought for the heavyweight world title, and I put him down three times and he put me down three times. The fight was waved off, but for me Daniel will always be my biggest and best fight.
“The rematch is owed to me. That’s the only fight where there is a question mark over, not my name, but the fight itself. He went down, and I went down, and then the fight was over.”
For now, though, Lerena’s focus is on defending his title against Radchenko.
“Radchenko’s record isn’t a true reflection of him as a fighter. He is a lot better than that. He’s got a big amateur pedigree, and he’s very durable. He’s a good boxer, but he’s never been in there with someone like me. I’m preparing a lot smarter and harder. I’m putting in a lot of volume. This is the most prepared I’ve [ever] been in [terms of] mental and physical preparation.”
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