Kevin Lerena candidly discusses his decision to defend his WBC Bridgerweight title against Ryad Merhy in Belgium, emphasising the financial motivations and his ongoing commitment to both boxing and his new venture, Aquila Boxing Promotions. Picture: official Kevin Lerena Media
Image: official Kevin Lerena Media
It’s refreshing to hear an athlete like Kevin Lerena speak with real honesty, and that’s exactly what he did when the topic came up about why he chose to travel to Belgium to defend his WBC Bridgerweight title against Ryad Merhy on May 30.
He revealed that the decision to fight Merhy on his home turf, whom he has beaten before, was a financial one.
Having turned 34 earlier this month, Lerena may be in the twilight of his career, and agreeing to fights with bigger cash rewards becomes more important.
The pair fought back in 2023 at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park. Lerena won comfortably by unanimous decision after 12 gruelling rounds. The rematch will now see Lerena take on Merhy at Hall des Expositions, Charleroi.
“I’m very excited. It's a big fight for me. It's a fight that I have to win, and I have to defend my world title in foreign territory,” Lerena told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview.
“It's never going to be easy, but we know what we have to do. We’re geared up.”
As Lerena is the defending champion, it may have raised a few eyebrows to see the Southpaw take on the challenger away from home.
“It's all about the money at the end of the day. The more lucrative purse offers, the better the challenge."
“You know, as a champion, you've got to be able to win on the road. I think that's very important.”
With the bout against Merhy just a matter of weeks away, though, Lerena revealed how hard he is preparing.
“I just train hard. I don't really focus on my weight, to be honest. I do what I have to do in the gym to stay fit, to stay strong, and to stay sharp, and then obviously the weight is the last week of worry. It's not really a worry of mine, to be honest."
“I run three to four times a week, I box five times a week, and I do weight training about two to three times a week.”
While his time in the ring is still the most important part of his life, Lerena has already started Aquila Boxing Promotions with his wife, Geraldine. It means that Lerena is already building a platform to transition to the business side of boxing.
“It’s super important for me. Winning and starting something great for my promoters is so important, and for my promotion on my brand, you know what I mean?"
“And I'm just proud to be part of Aquila and proud to be a professional fighter on the world stage. It's just about moving onwards and upwards, and it means a lot to me because this is how I provide for my family, and now I'll provide other fighters with the opportunity to provide.”
Lerena, however, insists his time in the ring is not done yet.
“Maybe another four or five years. Let's see what life has in store for me.”
In fact, Lerena would even be open to a bout in a different fighting code if the price were right, he explained.
“Listen, it's all about money. Pay me a big enough purse, and I'll do anything.”