Hit and hold as Lerena cashes in
South African Kevin Lerena duly won the International Cruiserweight title and the pot of cash at Emperor’s Palace on Saturday night, but it was an uninspiring affair that owed more to wrestling than it did to boxing.
For 10 rounds he and his Danish opponent Micki Nielsen engaged in a game of hit-and-hold that got more tedious as the evening wore on with referee Stan Christodolou having to constantly pull the men apart.
After 10 rounds of “action” Lerena was awarded a majority decision: 96-95, 97-93, 95-95.
Lerena justified his tactics by saying he opted to tie the Dane up on account of his power, but in football terms, that’s the same as parking the bus: you get the result, but you gain no fans.
James 'Bonecrusher' Smith did this years ago against Mike Tyson and it’s all he’s remembered for: being too timid to engage with the heavyweight champion.
The irony is that twice in the fight, in the seventh and eighth rounds, Lerena visibly rocked Nielsen, but he was too busy tying him up to notice. Instead of showing ambition, he resorted to type – the opportunity was lost.
His win was due to a strong showing down the stretch when, ironically enough, he finally let his hands go and enjoyed success. It demonstrated the folly of his overall game plan, particularly as Nielsen was there to be hit and Lerena’s shots appeared to have impact.
The SA fighter will argue that Nielsen was no less negative, and he had to do what was required to get the result, but that’s short-termism in the extreme.
Fans won’t stick around long if boxers don’t put on a show worthy of the hype.
There was far better value in Hekkie Budler’s WBA Pan-African fight against local rival Siyabonga Siyo.
After his recent defeat, Budler was in supreme form as he romped to a unanimous points win: 118-110, 116-112, 116-112.
The former world champion was in control from the start, his right hand working a charm and his aggressive attitude paying rich dividends.
Chris "The Heat' van Heerden gave a good account of himself on his return to South Africa following an extended stint in the USA.
He defeated the Namibian Sacky Shikukutu over 12 rounds, to annex the WBA Pan African Welterweight title.
Other Results:
· Nathan Hammond beat Zamelo Dludu in the 3rd round (TKO) in the Junior Middleweight Division
· Deejay Kriel beat Nyelasani Thagambege in the 5th round (TKO) for the Strawweight Gauteng Title
· Hekkie Budler beat Siyabonga Siyo over 12 rounds for the WBA Pan African Junior Flyweight Title
· Chris van Heerden (SA) beat Sacky Shikukutu (Namibia) over 12 rounds for the WBA Pan African Welterweight Title