South African boxing star Kevin Lerena has been nominated for Sportsman of the Year at the 19th annual South African Sport Awards, following a remarkable 2025 campaign that saw him make history in the ring while laying the foundations for a new chapter in his career.
Lerena’s 2025 was defined by more than victories and titles. The former IBO cruiserweight world champion and WBC bridgerweight world champion became the first South African boxer to successfully defend a WBC world title, doing so in front of 7,600 supporters on home soil.
He then took on one of the biggest challenges of his career when he moved up to heavyweight and travelled to London to face a WBC Heavyweight Silver Title challenge at Wembley Stadium. Fighting in front of approximately 90,000 spectators, Lerena ultimately lost the bout on points, but the opportunity demonstrated his willingness to test himself on boxing’s biggest stages.
I dared to challenge myself on one of the biggest stages in world boxing, Lerena said. I’ve always believed that if you want to find out how far you can go, you have to be prepared to take those opportunities.
However, Lerena’s most significant achievement of the year may have come outside the ring.
Building a platform for South African boxing
In 2025, Lerena launched Aquila Boxing Promotions (ABP), taking on a new role as a promoter while continuing his own career as an active fighter.
The promotion was established with the ambition of creating more opportunities for South African boxers. In its first year, ABP staged four events, all of which sold out and were broadcast live on SuperSport.
For Lerena, the promotion represents an opportunity to give back to the sport that has played such an important role in his life.
Boxing has given me so much, he said.
I wanted to create something that could give back to the sport and, importantly, provide another platform for South African fighters.
His move into promotion has also allowed him to use his experience and profile to open doors for other fighters.
Through ABP we’ve been able to give athletes opportunities they may not otherwise have had, Lerena said.
For me, that is probably the greatest achievement of all.
More than titles and victories
Lerena’s Sportsman of the Year nomination comes at a stage of his career where his influence extends beyond his own results.
While elite sport is traditionally judged by championships, rankings and records, Lerena’s 2025 demonstrated another measure of success: creating opportunities for those coming through behind him.
He defended a world championship on home soil, tested himself against a heavyweight challenge at Wembley, launched a boxing promotion and helped deliver four sold-out events all while remaining an active fighter pursuing his own ambitions.
That combination of achievements has made the nomination particularly meaningful.
A team effort
Despite the individual recognition, Lerena has been quick to acknowledge the people behind his success.
He credited his lifelong trainer Peter Smith, his boxing management and PR teams, sponsors and partners, Boxing South Africa, his business partners at Aquila Boxing Promotions and everyone involved in sharing his vision.
He also highlighted the sacrifices made by his wife and children, noting that the moments fans see on fight night are supported by significant work behind the scenes.
Lerena also paid tribute to his supporters, affectionately known as the “Lerena Army”, who have remained behind him through different weight divisions, championships, victories and setbacks.
The next chapter
The Sportsman of the Year nomination arrives as Lerena enters an intriguing new phase of his career.
He remains focused on his ambitions as a fighter, but his impact on South African boxing is increasingly extending beyond what happens inside the ropes.
The champion is now becoming a platform-builder, creating opportunities for the next generation while continuing to pursue success of his own.
The South African Sport Awards will take place on 23 August. Regardless of the outcome, Lerena believes 2025 will remain one of the defining years of his career.
Of course, I am proud of the titles and the fights. I’m proud that I was willing to challenge myself. But being able to start giving something back to South African boxing means just as much to me, he said.
This sport changed my life. If I can help it change somebody else’s life too, then we’ve achieved something worthwhile.