When a fighter takes a loss, especially if that defeat was inside the distance, the norm is to bring him back against an easy opponent to restore his confidence. Someone that he is supposed to beat. A journeyman or gatekeeper who has not won in a while. Certainly not a world class fighter who can punch.
Kevin Lerena, however, doesn’t care about the norm.
After coming within a whisker of stopping Daniel Dubois in the first round, he suffered a third round TKO defeat in their WBA heavyweight title fight.
On the 13th of May at Emperor’s Palace, he will be jumping out of the frying pan straight back into the fire when he takes on Ryad Merhy in a 12 round WBC bridgerweight world title eliminator.
Merhy, who hails from Belgium but was born in the Ivory Coast, has an impressive 31-1 record and is a former WBA cruiserweight champion. He also has an impressive 26 knockouts on his ledger.
Will he be able to conjure the ghost of Dubois in Lerena’s mind?
Merhy has won seven in a row since suffering his only defeat to current WBA super cruiserweight world champion, Arsen Goulamirian back in 2018. He was stopped in 11 rounds of a competitive fight.
What sparked the move to bridgerweight, a division only recognized by the WBC?
Speaking through his promoter, Alain Vanackère, Merhy chalks it up to life. There were many disappointments at cruiserweight with big fights not happening after winning the WBA interim title, compounded by the COVID19 pandemic. In the end, at the age of 30, his body simply matured and moving up was the logical choice for the muscular Belgian.
With the bridgerweight limit set at 101.6 kg both Merhy and Lerena can train for the fight instead of training to make weight.
“He has matured in the way he approaches fights. He is calm, unpredictable, and explosive,” says Vanackère.
They have studied Lerena. “He is a good opponent, strong, explosive. He has good basics but the only thing that will make it last the distance is that he is left-handed.”
Any prediction?
“Only that it won’t go 12 rounds.”
At the time of writing the Lerena camp was unavailable for comment, no doubt choosing to concentrate on the job at hand.
The battle lines are drawn. Who will prevail to fight for the WBC world title?
In the main supporting bout, two smaller heavyweights, perhaps also more suited for the bridgerweight division, will be in action.
Keaton Gomes makes the first defence of his South African heavyweight title against the battle-hardened former champion, Joshua Pretorius.
