Kevin Lerena handed heavyweight boxing lesson at Wembley
The former WBO cruiserweight champion extended his record to 22-1 (16 KOs) with a unanimous decision win (100-90 x2, 99-91) in a bout where his physical advantages – height, reach, and weight – did the bulk of the work.
But in front of a 60 000-strong crowd at Wembley Stadium, the fight failed to catch fire.
Okolie, now campaigning at heavyweight and ranked No 1 by the WBC, looked composed and effective but uninspired.
He controlled the range with a stiff jab and peppered Lerena's midsection with long right hands, but rarely stepped into top gear.
The South African southpaw, known for dropping Daniel Dubois three times in a previous clash, struggled to close the distance and land anything meaningful.
He had a brief moment of success in round six with a left hook, but for most of the night, he was kept on the outside and smothered whenever he got close.
Even Okolie seemed aware of the slow tempo.
In round nine, he glanced at the big screen during a clinch, checking the clock.
Lerena tried to provoke a firefight in the 10th by pointing to the canvas and calling for a toe-to-toe exchange – but Okolie declined, opting for safety over spectacle.
Okolie's clean sweep on the scorecards reinforces his position among the next tier of heavyweight contenders under the Queensberry banner, but the lack of aggression or ambition in this performance may leave fans and potential opponents unimpressed.
Despite being heavier than during his cruiserweight title run – up by around 60 pounds – Okolie still moved well.
However, his punch volume and risk-taking remain issues, particularly if he hopes to challenge elite heavyweights like Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua.
The 31-year-old had previously been scheduled to face Richard Riakporhe in April but withdrew due to injury.
That fight, now delayed, still looms as a potential domestic blockbuster.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
6 hours ago
- The South African
Will Andile Mpisane play for mom's new club? MaMkhize responds
Shauwn Mkhize – fondly known as MaMkhize – has shut down speculation that her son Andile Mpisane will play for Mbabane Highlanders AM FC. Last week, the businesswoman officially signed a three-year presidency deal with the eSwatini soccer club. This news comes months after SARS seized her South African team, Royal AM, to pay off her R40 million debt. Although the club includes the initials of his name – AM, or Andile Mpisane – his mother, MaMkhize, revealed that her son would take a step back. Speaking to Andile Ncube on Metro FM, the controversial businesswoman said: 'He wants to be in the management space now. 'I don't see him going there [to eSwatini], but he enjoys being in the business side of things.' When asked if Andile Mpisane had hung up his soccer boots, his mother responded, 'I don't know, but for now, I think so. Will Andile Mpisane play for his mom MaMkhize's new football club? Images via Instagram: @kwa_mamkhize 'Because even when Royal AM was there, he was starting to learn the administrative part of it. 'I think all that he wanted was to play in the elite league – which he did, he tasted that' With his football career likely over, Andile Mpisane will likely focus his attention on his budding music career or his hobby of collecting luxury cars. The 24-year-old is known for his expensive taste in cars and clothes, and posts bragging about his soccer skills. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
eNCA
7 hours ago
- eNCA
England's Carter suffers racist abuse at Euro 2025
ZURICH - England football chiefs have alerted police after defender Jess Carter revealed she has been the target of "a lot of racial abuse" during the Women's Euros in Switzerland. The 27-year-old, who has started all of the defending champions' matches so far, said she would take a step back from social media to focus on the tournament. Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said his organisation "immediately contacted UK police" as soon as it was made aware of the abuse and vowed to ensure "those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice". The England team said instead of taking a knee to highlight racism, they would remain standing before Tuesday's semi-final against Italy, adding: "It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism." Writing on her social media accounts, Carter, who has 49 England caps, said: "From the start of the tournament I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. "Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result I don't agree or think it's OK to target someone's appearance or race. "As a result of this I will be taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with." England forward Lauren James suffered online racist abuse after a defeat for her club side Chelsea in 2023. England men's players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho were targeted after the team's Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy. England boss Sarina Wiegman said: "I stand with Jess and all Lionesses players past and present who have suffered racism." European football's governing body UEFA expressed its support for Carter while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X that "there is no place for racism in football or anywhere in society". jw/mw
The South African
7 hours ago
- The South African
Sacha on missed kicks: 'Off target, not off track'
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has reacted to criticism of his performance in the Springboks game against Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, 19 July. The flyhalf came under fire after missing a series of crucial penalty kicks. Last year, Sacha was inducted into the national rugby team and has made nine test match appearances. In an Instagram post, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu directly responded to criticism of his missed penalty kicks. Posting a series of pics from Saturday's game, he shared: 'Off target — Not off track. Great experience out in Nelspruit! Thank you, South Africa.' On social media, rugby fans claimed that Sacha had gotten off lightly as compared to fellow flyhalf Manie Libbok, who has often been criticised over his performances. Meanwhile, Rassie Erasmus has conceded that while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 'made the most errors', he was 'pleased' with his performance. In a post-match briefing, the Springbok coach said: 'Sacha is not necessarily the first choice. Number ten, we have Manie, who is pretty much on song, and we saw with Handre when he came on that he is pretty solid. 'You can't just look at his goal kicking. He struggled before doing pretty well, but in the warm-up he got a hip pointer injury and we weren't quite sure if we should push him through the game. But he wanted to play, but that's not an excuse for the way he kicked at poles. Rassie added: 'We are pleased overall, it's his second start for us this year and he is younger than the other fly-halves.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
