Kevin Lerena on Oscar Pistorius trial, helicopter crash and family grief

With the crushing weight of loss and grief pressing down on him, Kevin Lerena sank heavily into the couch in his dressing room.

The South African heavyweight had just gone the distance in a razor-thin contest against Australian prospect Justis Huni in Saudi Arabia. He rocked Huni in the final round but could not land the decisive blow.

For most boxers, coming so agonisingly close to victory is tough to swallow. For Lerena, though, there was a sense of deep relief.

A day earlier he received the devastating news that his mother had died in South Africa.

“I was just glad that the fight was over and I could go home and lay my mother to rest,” he told BBC Sport.

The fact that Lerena stepped into the ring at all speaks volumes about his mental strength, but he says withdrawing was never an option.

“I was not at home to be with her when she suddenly passed, but I kept quiet and put on my strong armour to represent myself, my country and my family,” he added.

“It was tough, though. It took an emotional toll on me. I’m only human and I felt it in the fight. I felt drained and fatigued.”

On 19 July Lerena will face Briton Lawrence Okolie at Wembley Stadium in the latest chapter in an extraordinary life full of highs, lows and true cinematic drama.

Lerena has dropped a future heavyweight world champion three times in the first round. He has walked away from a helicopter crash. And he has been a key witness in one of the most high-profile murder trials of the 21st Century.