GAUTENG, South Africa – Kevin Lerena hit former world title challenger Mariusz Wach with everything he had but had to settle for a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision in front of an adoring hometown crowd on Saturday night at the Palace of Emperor. Judges John Shipanuka and Patrick Mukondiwa whitewashed it 120-108, with a third score of 118-110 from Tony Nyangiwe.
Wach, who was outmatching Lerena, who was much smaller, tried to distance himself a bit with his jab in the first round, but as soon as Lerena knocked the Polish fighter’s head back with a left-right hook from his left-handed, the pattern was established. .
Lerena, formally a Ring-rated cruiserweight, began the second by hitting the body. Wach attempted a hook from the jab, but Lerena saw it coming, swerved out of the way, and responded with a thudding upper-left right hook. A double from Wach in the third set off an exchange of left hooks that Lerena overcame. Every time Wach threw something, Lerena would come back with the punches faster, stronger and flashier.
A series of massive straight lefts sent Wach stumbling in the fourth. He somehow got loose from the ropes and responded with a flurry of left and right hooks that only found air as Lerena ducked underneath. Lerena finished the verse with another left straight.
The capacity crowd began a chant of “Kevin! Kevin! in the fifth and pleased them by nailing some hooks into the body. Wach landed his best shots of the fight, another one-two in the sixth, but did nothing to deter Lerena, who went back to work and pummeled her opponent around the ring.
The seventh was arguably the best of the fight, as Wach started fast and landed a straight right hand. The pair traded left hooks. Wach landed a glancing uppercut. Lerena landed a couple of right hooks up and down. Wach landed a combination of jab, right hook and left, but the South African simply responded with faster, harder punches.
In the 10th, Lerena brought the crowd to its feet when she landed left and right straight hook combinations one after the other. The punches made sweat fly, but Wach, who showed a lot of heart but little else, was going nowhere.
Wach came out with a sense of urgency in the last round, but every time she touched her opponent, Lerena came roaring back. A right hook sent Wach flinching and the next straight hook from left to right landed flush. Still, Wach stood there like a monolith as the fight ended with Lerena on the attack.
With the win, Lerena takes her record to 28-1 (14 KOs) while Wach drops to 36-9 (19 KOs).
Lerena did not get the knockout that many thought she would get. Still, it was a more dominant win than Dillian Whyte or Hughie Fury could produce over the same opponent. The South African star doesn’t have the raw power of some of the division’s biggest names, but his clumsy southpaw style combined with quick hands and feet can’t be matched by any heavyweight not named Oleksandr Usyk.
Does Lerena have the makings of a true heavyweight contender? Time will tell.
Lusanda Komanisi attacks Tshifhiwa Munyai. Photo by James Gradridge
In the main support fight, Lusanda Komanisi became the new South African lightweight champion when he won a 12-round unanimous decision over Tshifhiwa Munyai.
Judge David van Nieuwenhuizen scored it 114-113, Thabo Spampool made it 115-112 and Phumeza Zinakile made it 117-110. The writer had Munyai as the winner 115-112. It was a difficult tactical fight to score with several close rounds and the 117-110 card seemed out of place.
In a quiet first round, Munyai complained of a thumb in the eye after being caught by a glancing hook. Komanisi landed a left hook to the body in the second that backed up Munyai. Komanisi stopped the aggressor in the next round, but the taller Munyai landed a long jab and right hand.
Munyai calmed down a bit in the fourth and began dodging Komanisi’s attacks. Komanisi still found a home for his left hook and slicing right inside, but Munyai landed a hard left hook and right to the head and body.
In the fifth, a big right hand from Komanisi turned Munyai around and a left hook moments later sent him into the ropes.
The sixth featured a lot of meowing before Munyai suddenly landed right behind Komanisi’s ear which sent him to the canvas for a count. He got up and finished the round, but Munyai backed his opponent into the ropes in the next round, forcing him to hang on.
In the eighth, Komanisi again changed things his way by landing a big right hand and finding a home for his shots on the inside. There were heavy exchanges from both fighters in the ninth, a round that was difficult to call off.
In the last three rounds, Munyai seemed to want him a little more. He landed effective uppercuts on the inside, though Komanisi still landed his own heavy shots, especially with the left hook.
Round 11 was a good round for Munyai as he punished Komanisi. The final round featured some tit-for-tat exchanges early and late with Komanisi getting on his bike in the middle.
Lusanda Komanisi goes to 27-6 (22 KOs) while Munyai drops to 35-7-1 (20 KOs).
A rematch seems to be in order.
Billboard results:
Keaton Gomes TKO 1 Danny Ngokwey (heavyweight)
Ricardo Malajika TKO 2 Arnel Lubisi (bantamweight)
Beaven Sibanda W SD 4 Mfanuvele Ntuli (Flyweight)
Keanu Koopman TKO 2 Caiphas Manale (welterweight)
