A whirlwind 2016 is yet to let up, but Golden Gloves is already powering ahead with its first blockbuster event of next year.
In lifting the lid on what’s in store for Emperors Palace in February, promoter Rodney Berman said his plan was to give fans the fights they enjoy.
The card will feature two big-name fighters in Hekkie Budler and Kevin Lerena, plus hot-rising prospect DeeJay Kriel and a pair of youngsters being steered towards the bright lights.
Filipino southpaw Joey Canoy will tangle with Budler for the vacant IBO light-flyweight belt, which presents Budler with a chance to win a championship in a second weight division. The popular South African is also rated in the top 10 of both the WBC and the WBO, making him well placed to engage in some big contests.
Lerena’s assault on the cruiserweight division has begun and expectations are that he will soon appear in the top 10 of the major organisations after his defeat of Micki Nielsen last month. He will look to keep in the public eye against Vikapita Meroro, the experienced Namibian who has been in with the likes of Isaac Chilemba, Dmitry Kudryashov and Juergen Braehmer.
Meroro has won six of his last seven bouts and will doubtless grab the opportunity to make a major statement against the fast-rising Lerena. Meroro (28-5) has only been stopped once in an 11-year pro career, but Lerena will surely look to become the second fighter to take him down.
Lerena is rated 13 by the WBC, but Berman expects that position to swiftly rise, not because he will be stating the boxer’s case at next month’s WBC convention.
Kriel, meanwhile, will fight Rolly Sumalpong for the WBC Youth belt.
Aware of the need to blood new talent, Berman is promising good things from light-heavyweight Rowan Campbell, who gives Lerena terrific sparring, as well as Jabulani McKenzie, who fights out of the Sebastian Rothmann stable.
All in all, it adds up to a cracking bill that ought to get 2017 off to an excellent start.
