Golden Gloves promoter, Rodney Berman, says he will not bow to public pressure to push for unifying fights for two of his most gifted world champion boxers.
The International Boxing Organisation’s cruiserweight world champion, Kevin Lerena, will defend his title against Vasil Ducar from the Czech Republic on June 8.
Thulani Mbenge holds the IBO’s welterweight belt. He will travel to Germany to defend his title against Sebastian Fomella in July.
Two of South Africa’s finest boxers in the same stable have the same ambition of unifying their weight divisions.
Mbenge, who is unbeaten in 15 fights with 12 knockouts, is planning a clean sweep in the welterweight division.
And with Oleksandr Usyk moving up a division and vacating all the belts in the cruiserweight division, Lerena has an opportunity to unify the cruiserweight division.
“Most definitely that is my ultimate goal. I want to be the unified champion and I don’t think there is anything bigger in boxing no matter what weight division you are in its to be the unified champion so that’s the goal that I’ve set out for myself and Peter,” says Lerena.
” I want to be a unified champion. I’m definitely a world champ, but I want to be a world champion which is unified undefeated, unified champion,” says Mbenge.
But their promoter Rodney Berman says the two boxers should not be rushed into unifying bouts.
“We don’t bow to public pressure to criticism we will do it at our own pace I want to do what’s right for both fighters. Thulani will ultimately fight to unify his title but when we are satisfied that he’s really ready to do that. In the meantime he will carry on defending fighting on the world stage with Kevin Lerena as I say with USYK vacating we are going to see as the dust settles he’s going to be right up there and he will ultimately fight to unify his title,” says Berman.
The undercard for Lerena’s fight will see Michael Mokoena taking on Jabulani Makhense for the Pan African Junior Welterweight title.
