Lerena views award nomination as validation for his hard work
To be recognised among SA’s finest sportsmen by way of nomination for the Sportsman of the Year Award is an honour itself, says Kevin “Two Guns” Lerena.
He is nominated alongside Christiaan Mass (golfer) and Pieter Coetzee (swimmer).
The 19th edition of the national awards has a total of 19 categories, including the major award of the night, the Sport Star of the Year award.
The period under review is January 1 2025 to December 31 2025, for all 19 categories of recognised performances from individuals, teams, and administrators of the SA sporting fraternity.
Lerena successfully defended his WBC bridgerweight world title by a third-round stoppage of Ukrainian Serhiy Radchenko in front of 8,000 fans at Sun Bet Arena in Pretoria on May 1 2025.
“It’s an absolute honour to be nominated for Sportsman of the Year at the South African Sports Awards, recognising what was an incredible 2025 for me,” said Lerena, whose fighting prowess is polished by former heavyweight contender Peter “Sniper” Smith.
“I became the first South African to successfully defend a WBC title in front of 8,000 people on home soil. “I stepped up to the heavyweights and went across the pond to challenge for the WBC belt in front of 90,000 people.
“We fell short on points that night, but I dared to challenge myself on one of the biggest stages in world boxing time and time again.”
He said his biggest success in 2025 was the four Aquila Boxing Promotions shows, which he was part of and were televised live by SuperSport.
Lerena and his wife Geraldine launched that promotion last year.
“Other fighters had an opportunity they would not have had, had I not been there,” said Lerena, who paid tribute to his team, Smith and manager Spence Brown.
He paid gratitude to his wife and children, the sporting fraternity, and his business partners who shared the same vision as his.
Meanwhile, Siseko “Panda” Teyisi, who retained the SA junior-flyweight belt in April last year, added the IBF Inter-Continental belt to his collection in September and chalked up the second successful defence of the SA belt in December, has been nominated for the Youth/Junior Sport Star of the Year.
Teyisi, 22, is undefeated after 10 fights, with seven wins coming by way of knockout.
Other nominees are Prudence Sekgodiso and Bayanda Walaza, who are both athletes.
Under the theme “Crowned By Greatness”, the awards ceremony will take place at the Sun City Super Bowl on Sunday.