Exclusive: Kevin Lerena Vows to Shock the World in Heavyweight War with Lawrence Okolie at Wembley

Kevin Lerena is gearing up for another major test as he returns to the ring to face British fighter Lawrence Okolie for the World Boxing Council (WBC) silver heavyweight title. 

The highly anticipated bout is scheduled to take place on Saturday at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium.

A fight years in waiting

Lerena and Okolie, both holders of the cruiserweight and bridger-weight titles at some point in their careers, will feature on the undercard of the blockbuster rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois - who are set to clash to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Lerena heads into this bout riding high after his emphatic victory over Ukraine’s Serhiy Radchenko.

That fight, which took place in early May, saw Lerena successfully defend his bridgerweight title for the first time, stopping Radchenko via technical knockout just 16 seconds into the third round.

The matchup with Okolie has long been anticipated. The British boxer was previously in line to face Lerena before vacating his bridgerweight title to pursue more opportunities in the heavyweight ranks. 

Now, with both fighters fully entrenched in the division, the long-awaited clash will finally materialise.

More than just a title will be at stake. This fight offers both Lerena and Okolie a golden chance to solidify their standing in the heavyweight division and make a strong case for future world title contention.

Excited by the opportunity, Lerena expressed what it means to fight at such a stage and how proud he is of his progress and what it represents for South African boxing as a whole. 

“It means a lot, and it just shows how big boxing is in the world. It shows how good South African boxers are, and it means the world to me to be carrying the flag.” Lerena told SportsBoom.com

While many may look back to the originally planned bout with Okolie, Lerena believes the timing is better now and there will be nothing to prove.

“There will be no point to prove; the fight is happening at a good time,” he said.

“He is a good fighter; he has a long reach. He is also an explosive guy, and we’ve just got to utilise that and take it away from him on the night.”

Bouncing back from setbacks

Lerena is no stranger to big nights. In his last high-profile appearance in the United Kingdom, he faced Dubois at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022 and nearly pulled off a major upset. 

He managed to knock the 27-year-old down three times in the opening round before the Brit recovered and went on to secure a technical knockout victory. Although a win slipped away, Lerena left a lasting impression with that performance.

He would go on to face another tough opponent in Australia’s Justis Huni, and despite losing on points and suffering back-to-back defeats, the South African took a lot of valuable lessons from those fights.

“The most important thing is overcoming adversity and the ability to move forward. I learned that—and also to make fewer mistakes, which is the most important thing.”

A win on Saturday would be a major statement for Lerena and could boost not just his career but also raise the profile of boxing in South Africa. 

“It will be huge. I mean for myself and the other fighters who are the flag bearers of the sport. It’s no secret that we want to take South African boxing to the rest of the world, and a win could open a lot of doors for boxing in the country.”

The 33-year-old impressed with his dominant performance against Radchenko in front of his home crowd, but he insists fighting on the road doesn’t bother him. With an event as big as this, he believes the occasion outweighs the location.

“I wouldn’t say fighting away from home makes it harder. The magnitude of the fight is so big, and it’s obviously better to do things on the bigger stage.”