By Kevin Rademeyer.
South African boxing returns to the big stage on May 1st with a landmark event, The Reckoning, hosted at the state-of-the-art SunBet Arena at Time Square in Pretoria. Headlining the tournament is Kevin Lerena, who will defend his WBC Bridgerweight world title against Ukrainian challenger Serhiy Radchenko.
This marks Lerena’s first defence of the belt after being elevated from interim to full champion when Lawrence Okolie moved to the heavyweight division. The 32-year-old Lerena, known for his explosive finishes and ring intelligence, is a former IBO cruiserweight champion with seven successful title defenses to his name. Though he suffered a setback in his last bout – a points loss to Australia’s Justis Huni in Saudi Arabia – Lerena now returns home with renewed determination to reignite his momentum.
“This fight is about more than just the belt,” Lerena said. “It’s about reminding people that South Africa belongs at the top of world boxing.” Lerena is very confident that he will knock out the challenger early on stating “I am in great shape, I’m feeling good, I’m feeling healthy,” he said. “This is just business for me; it’s nothing personal. Big respect to Radchenko, but I am a different beast, a different man, a different animal. I promise, I am going to knock him out.”
The undercard features elite South African talent: Thulani Mbenge, the IBO World Welterweight Champion, faces Namibia’s Emmanuel Mungandjela in a 10-round clash.
Thabiso Mchunu, the seasoned cruiserweight and former WBC Silver champion, takes on DRC’s Amador Kalonji over eight rounds. Veteran trainer Alex Mchunu also predicted knockout wins across the board for the South African trio, citing Lerena’s “smart finishing,” Mbenge’s dependability, and his son Thabiso’s untapped championship potential.
The event, promoted by Dewald Mostert’s Legacy Boxing Promotions, also includes a full day card featuring rising stars like Tiisetso Matikinca and Lindokuhle Khuzwayo, and the long-awaited return of Pretoria’s own Jabulani Makhence.
Beyond the ring, Lerena has been vocal about the accessibility and transformative power of boxing. “It doesn’t take much to start—just gloves and heart,” he said. “But becoming great? That takes everything. I wake up thinking of Radchenko, when I go to bed it’s Radchenko. Everything else means nothing,” he said. “I’ve been starved of fighting. No one is taking food off my table. You are going to see a starved man in the ring, a well-oiled machine who is hungry.
With global attention on The Reckoning, this tournament is more than just a fight night—it’s a defining moment for South African boxing.
Tickets remain available at TicketPro, for this highly anticipated battle. This is the biggest boxing event since Lennox Lewis lost at Carnival City in 2021. It will be brutal, it will be extraordinary and more important it will make history.