Linda Ximba
UKevin “Two Guns” Lerena uzoqala uhambo lwakhe njengompetha womhlaba wakusasa esigabeni se-heavyweight kulo Mgqibelo.
Lo mshayisibhakela (29), owayengumpetha we-International Boxing Organisation (i-IBO) cruiserweight, unyukela esigabeni esinzima ngemuva kokuvikela izicoco zakhe ngempumelelo amahlandla ayisithupha.
ULerena, ophinde aphathe izicoco ze-SA ne-WBA Pan Africa, uzobhekana noBogdan Dinu wase-Romania ngoMgqibelo ebusuku e-Kempton Park, eGoli.
UDinu (35) uza nerekhodi lokushaywa amahlandla angu-16, ukuwina amahlandla angu-20 nokuhlulwa kathathu.
“Ngifuna ukumemezela kanzima ukufika kwami esigabeni se-heavyweight. Akukhona ukuthi ngidelela imbangi yami, kodwa ngihlose ukuwina,” kusho uLerena ezinkundleni zokuxhumana ze-Golden Gloves Promotions.
“Sekuyisikhathi sokuthi iNingizimu Afrika ibe nomshayisibhakela ohloniphekile olwela amabhande omhlaba esigabeni esinzima.”
Uthe ukuziqeqesha kwakhe noJuan Roux ophethe isicoco se-heavyweight saseNingizimu Afrika nabanye abashayisibhakela kuhambe kahle.
Umqeqeshi wakhe uPeter Smith uthe ukuwina kwakhe kuzomsiza ukuthi ahlonishwe yikomiti le-WBA ne-IBF.
INingizimu Afrika ayikwazanga ukukhiqiza umshayisibhakela osezingeni lamazwe ngamazwe cishe iminyaka engamashumi amabili.
INingizimu Afrika yagcina ukuba nompetha womhlaba ngo-2003. Umufi uCorrie Sanders wathusa abaningi ngesikhathi ekhipha inkunzimalanga ye-WBO e-Germany uWladimir Klitschko ngokunqoba okumangalisayo.
UGerrie Coetzee wawina isicoco se-WBA ngo-1993 ngesikhathi uFrancois “White Buffalo” Botha enqoba isicoco se-IBF ngo-1995.
U-Oleksandr Usyk wase-Ukraine, owayengumpetha we-cruiserweight ongahlulwa, uphethe izintambo njengompetha we-WBA Super, i-IBF, i-WBO kanye ne-IBO esigabeni se-heavyweight.
Umthombo wesithombe: @SuperSport