By Francisco Salazar
Boxing is a game of risks. Kevin Lerena is risking his world ranking, his IBO cruiserweight title and thousands of miles away from his home to face a virtual unknown.
Lerena will face Roman Golovashchenko in a 12-round bout Saturday night at the Sarhadci Olympic Center in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The southpaw Lerena (20-1, 9 knockouts) will be fighting for the second time outside South Africa. The Johannesburg resident has been a staple on Rodney Berman cards in nearby Kempton Park.
The 26-year-old Lerena was victorious in his last bout on Mar. 3, outboxing Dmytro Kucher to win a 12 round unanimous decision. He notched his best win as a pro in his previous fight on Sept. 9, winning a 12-round split decision over Youri Kayembre Kalenga.
Lerena, who is trained by Peter Smith, is ranked number four by the IBF and number six by the WBC.
Golovashchenko (19-1, 17 KOs) will take a major step-up in opposition in facing Lerena. Originally from the Ukraine and now residing in Weissenfels, Germany, Golovashchenko is not ranked in any of the major sanctioning bodies.
The 30-year-old Golovashchenko has not fought since Nov. 4, when he knocked out veteran Zoltan Petranyi. Golovashchenko has won his last seven bouts, all by knockouts.
Light heavyweight Malik Mammadzada (12-1, 7 KOs), who resides in Baku, will square off against Ibragim Tsurov (5-1) in a 10-round bout.
Middleweight Vusal Aliev (18-0, 10 KOs) of Baku will face Badri Kereselidze (9-5, 4 KOs) in a four round bout.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing