Earlier this week, it was announced that WBC "bridgerweight" champion Kevin Lerena would head back up to heavyweight, facing Silver titleholder Lawrence Okolie on the Oleksandr Usyk-Daniel Dubois 2 undercard at London's Wembley Stadium on July 19.

It was one of two undercard bouts announced for their much-anticipated rematch, where the undisputed heavyweight titles and Ring crown will be on the line next month. However, what we didn't know was how it would impact Lerena's status in the bridgerweight division.

"Lerena requested permission to the WBC to fight for the Silver championship in heavyweight but keeping the title," WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told The Ring.

"We're going to allow him to make this fight and then we're going to decide if he returns or stays at heavyweight."

Over the past couple of years, Lerena has dabbled with the heavyweight division with mixed success. The former cruiserweight contender decided he could no longer make the 200-pound limit and proceeded to give Dubois fits, dropping the now IBF titleholder three times in the first round before a third-round stoppage defeat in December 2022.

The South African (31-3, 15 KOs) took the opportunity to fight in the newly formed bridgerweight division and won the WBC interim title when besting Senad Gashi via 12-round unanimous decision 12 months later.

However, another career cruiserweight in Okolie blasted out then-champion Łukasz Różański in a Round 5 months later before vacating his title and moving to heavyweight, after which Lerena was retroactively elevated to full champion status.

Since then, Lerena has jumped back to heavyweight where he gave then-unbeaten Australian contender Justis Huni some tough moments late before losing a spirited 10-round decision in March 2024.

Last month, the 33-year-old southpaw blitzed Serhiy Radchenko with a third-round knockout win on a successful South African homecoming to defend his bridgerweight strap.

Interestingly, former two-time cruiserweight titlist Krzysztof Wlodarczyk scored a dramatic 10th-round, come-from-behind knockout win over compatriot Adam Balski to scoop up the WBC's interim bridgerweight title on May 25 and would be elevated if Lerena leaves later this year.

If that were to happen, Wlodarczyk, 43, would be the third oldest fighter to win a world title.