BOXING
WBC Bridgerweight champ Kevin Larena open to fighting Oleksandr Usyk
South Africa’s Kevin Larena is open to giving both Oleksandr Usyk and deontay Wilder a shot at his WBC Bridgerweight title

In the smoke-filled halls of boxing lore, Kevin Lerena, South Africa’s pride and the WBC bridgerweight champion, has made an offer that could ripple across the sport. He’s ready to step into the lion’s den in Ukraine, giving Oleksandr Usyk a chance to etch his name in history as a three-weight world champion. Usyk, fresh off his back-to-back conquests of Tyson Fury, hasn’t fought on home soil since a 2015 bout in Kyiv, and he has never defended a world title there. This potential clash promises the kind of drama that keeps boxing alive in the hearts of its fans.
Lerena isn’t one to mince words. “He’s the man who beat the man,” he said, acknowledging Usyk’s place in the boxing pantheon during an interview with World Boxing News. “He’s the face of boxing right now. One hundred percent, he could get a shot.” That kind of respect doesn’t come lightly in a sport where bravado often overshadows humility. Lerena’s willingness to take the fight to Ukraine underscores his confidence - and his understanding of what such a matchup could mean for his career.
The timing for this showdown has shifted like the sands in an hourglass. Originally set for February, the potential fight now edges closer to late March, a delay that could complicate other opportunities for Lerena. Still, the South African is a pragmatist. “The Usyk fight has never been officially presented to me,” he admitted. But you can sense he’s ready to make it happen if the stars align.
Meanwhile, Usyk’s last outings have elevated his status to something akin to myth. Victories over Fury in Saudi Arabia cemented his reputation as one of boxing’s all-time greats, but there’s a lingering sense that returning to Ukraine would complete a circle for the man who hasn’t fought there in nearly a decade. For Usyk, fighting Lerena at home offers the allure of both personal and professional validation.
As the dust settles on Lerena’s potential plans with Usyk, another name hovers in the background: Deontay Wilder. The American, once the most feared heavyweight on the planet, has shown signs of stirring from his slumber. Lerena, ever the opportunist, has made it clear he’d welcome a fight with Wilder. “I’m scared of no man,” he said with the kind of steeliness that defines champions. But Wilder, now 39, has his own path to walk. A bout with Curtis Harper is reportedly in the works for April 26, a move seen by many as a litmus test for whether Wilder still has the fire to reclaim his place in the sport.
In boxing, momentum is everything. Usyk’s is soaring; Lerena’s is steady, but rising. Wilder’s is teetering, waiting for a definitive moment. For Lerena, the chance to face either Usyk or Wilder represents more than just another fight. It’s a crossroads, a moment to prove that he’s more than just a bridgerweight king but a fighter worthy of sharing the ring with the sport’s greatest.
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