Smith remains confident ahead of clash with Nielsen
The Golden Gloves cruiserweight Super Four final is on the horizon and Kevin Lerena’s camp remains ever confident.
Lerena will take on the undefeated Micki Nielsen in a winner-takes-all cracker at Emperors Palace on Saturday, October 22.
Lerena’s trainer Peter Smith believes that neutralising the powerful Dane’s strengths will put the man known as the KO Kid in a great position to claim what would be his greatest win to date.
“Kevin can’t allow this guy to land. We’re working a lot on angles. The guy loves the right hook and is a strong jabber,” Smith told the Golden Gloves website.
“Kevin’s strength is his speed and power and technical skills. I don’t want him on the ropes at all against this guy. Nielsen has power and a forceful attack. If Kevin can’t put him on the backfoot, he must move him around.”
Smith, a former heavyweight boxer and an experienced boxing man, knows that it will take a lot of hard work to beat a talented fighter like Nielsen. He’s doing his best to get his trainee in the best possible shape because he knows how important this fight is for him and Lerena. And he will need to do his best to equip the KO Kid, considering the mammoth challenge awaiting them.
Nielsen showed South African boxing fans his devastating boxing power and prowess in his last stint in the country earlier this year, combining damaging right hooks and uppercuts on his way to a convincing win in his semi-final against Johnny Muller.
Lerena beat Argentina international Roberto Bolonti on the same night, in the tournament’s other semi-final.
The added exciting factor in the long-awaited final is that both pugilists have similar boxing styles: both are strong and are powerful hitters with a never-say-die attitude. With both packing mean punches, a KO victory for either one of them is well on the cards.
Come October 22, this promises to be one of the country’s fights for the ages. – @SabeloBoksburg
