Boxing: Lerena wins Super Four tournament
Local favourite Kevin Lerena beat Denmark international Micki Nielsen via a majority points decision to win Golden Gloves’ Super Four Cruiserweight final at Emperors Palace on Saturday, October 22.
The judges, from South Africa, France and Denmark respectively, scored the rather boring ordeal 96-95, 97-93 and 95-95.
Following their impressive wins in the tournament’s semi-final round a few months back, which put the two on a collision course, expectations for their final showdown were high.
But those expectations were all but met as pushing, mauling and wrestling dominated proceedings in the 10-rounder rather than what fans paid their hard-earned money for: boxing.
Referee Stan Christodoulou was as involved in the fight as the two pugilists as he repeatedly separated them, with Nielsen the main culprit for the wrestling in a rather surprising approach by the Danish.
Lerena, who came in the fight at 90.15kg, was the deserved winner as he landed more clear blows to improve his professional record to 17-1; 11.
Meanwhile Nielsen (90.55kg) suffered his first professional loss as he dropped to 22-1; 14.
Elsewhere on the card, Chris van Heerden made a winning return to a South African ring as he won the vacant WBA Pan African welterweight belt via a unanimous 12 rounds points decision over Namibia international Sacky Shikukutu.
The judges scored the bout 118-110 and 117-111 twice to hand the South African, who’s been in the USA since early 2014, the win to improve his record to 25-2-1; 12 while Shikukutu dropped to 22-4-1: 13.
Deejay Kriel put his superiority over Nyelisang Thagambega beyond doubt as he claimed a TKO victory in the fifth round to win the vacant Gauteng minimumweight title.
In their reverse bout a few months ago, numerous questions were left unanswered as Kriel benefited from a controversial stoppage by the referee, leaving Thagambega and his corner hard-done by.
Other results:
Hekkie Budler made a winning return since losing his WBA super minimumweight belt. He outscored Siyabonga Siyo over 12 rounds to claim the vacant WBA Pan African junior flyweight title.
Nathan Hammond made a winning bow to professional boxing as he beat Zamehlo Dludlu via TKO in the third in their junior middleweight face-off. – @SabeloBoksburg
