The next opponent for Kevin “Two Guns” Lerena has finally been set: He will take on former world
title challenger, Mariusz “The Viking” Wach on 17 September at Emperor’s Palace. The heavyweight
bout will be the main event of the card entitled “Lights Out.”
Standing over two meters tall, Wach who hails from Krakow, Poland will tower over the much
smaller Lerena. Will he be able to use his size and reach advantage to good effect or will Lerena
nullify them like he did in his heavyweight debut against Bogdan Dinu?
Wach, who sports a record of 36-8 with 19 knockouts, went the full 12-round distance when he
challenged then-champion, Wladimir Klitschko and has fought an array of top heavyweights. Among
them are former Olympic gold medallist and WBA champion, Alexander Povetkin, who took 12
rounds to stop Wach. Other notable heavyweights, he shared the ring with include another world
title challenger, Dillian Whyte, Hughie Fury, Jarrell Miller, and the recent conqueror of Tony Yoka,
Martin Bakole. Whoever Wach fought, he has always proved to be a formidable opponent.
Can Lerena stop Wach or will he have to settle for a decision? Or does Wach view the fight as an
easy way to get back in the win column?
Promoter Rodney Berman believes the latter. “Wach is coming here with an entourage of five
people which tells me he is serious about the fight. With the dollar-rand exchange rate being what it
is, it has become a headache to get a credible opponent. We are forced to roll the dice.”
The main supporting bout on the card will see South African lightweight champion, Tshifhiwa
“Atomic Spider” Munyai defends his title against former South African and IBO world featherweight
champion, Lusanda “The Mexican” Komanisi, providing the latter gets past his scheduled opponent
on 26 June.
A former Commonwealth champion who campaigned extensively overseas and challenged Scott
Quigg for the WBA world title, Munyai has been enjoying an Indian summer. The 37-year-old veteran
has won seven fights in a row since losing to Rofhiwa Maemu in 2017, bringing his record to 35-6-1
with 20 stoppages. His latest hot streak includes winning the national title and defending it three
times. He has been on form and is in no mood to lose.
Komanisi, who has a respectable 25-6 record, has an exciting come-forward style. He is a good body
puncher and has power, as his 22 knockouts indicate. He has, however, shown vulnerabilities and
can also be knocked out if his opponent can hang in there long enough.
There has been a lot of back-and-forth banter between the two and their followers on social media
and the fight should garner a lot of interest.
The Golden Gloves brand has long been synonymous with quality boxing but more than that, it has
become an entertainment brand. Not only can fight fans look forward to quality boxing. They are
also assured of an unforgettable night at The Palace of Dreams!
