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After discovering Pacquiao, Lewkowicz continues to prospect for gold in Philippines


Sampson Lewkowicz carved his name in the international boxing arena, making a name of discovering talent in foreign countries and bringing them to the world stage for opportunities they wouldn't have received back home. The Uruguay-born Lewkowicz, who now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, has brought many great fighters to light since coming to boxing in the late '90s. Perhaps his greatest discovery came in 2001, when San Francisco-based lawyer Sydney Hall introduced him to then rising fighter Manny Pacquiao. Hall, before introducing Pacquiao to Lewkowicz, had already exhausted all avenues in trying to look for an American promoter for the then Filipino super bantamweight contender. "When he called me up I said, 'Why you call me?' He said, 'I've tried everyone. I tried Top Rank, Don King. Nobody was interested in a Filipino; they thought of Filipinos as only opponents and nobody wants to deal with him,'" remembers Lewkowicz, 60. Lewkowicz recalls taking one look at Pacquiao's left hand to the body and saying, "This is a superstar." He felt that Filipino boxers weren't given the chance to succeed because they didn't arrive at the fight location until a few days before the weigh-in, which didn't give them an opportunity to adjust to time differences, local cuisine and altitude. He felt that, on a level playing field, a guy like Pacquiao could succeed at the highest level of the sport. Partnership with Pinoys In his first fight under Lewkowicz, Pacquiao shocked the odds makers and knocked out then defending International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in six rounds, becoming the new champion and beginning an amazing run that has seen only one defeat since then. Lewkowicz's tenure with Pacquiao lasted just a year, when he says he abandoned the Pacquiao Express amid displeasure with the mishandling of the Filipino southpaw's career by then-promoter Murad Muhammad. That partnership with Pacquiao started Lewkowicz's business relationship with Filipino promoters as he now works with Sammy Gello-ani and ALA Boxing to bring their boxers to the big fights abroad. He feels that, while the Philippines continues to be a hotbed for boxing talent, Pacquiao's presence still looms large over the up-and-coming boxers. "The problem is when you have a superstar like Manny, it's very hard for these kids to be compared to Manny." "This is the problem; they get shy. Every one of the boxers, even if you tell him, 'You look like Manny, you can be like Manny,' it’s something that none of these fighters believe," said Lewkowicz, Lewkowicz grooms Nietes Lewkowicz has had success making a number of Filipinos champions in their respective weight divisions, including the troubled former World Boxing Orgamnization (WBO) super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona and former 105 pound champ Donnie Nietes – who will fight for a world title in his second weight class on September 10. The ALA-promoted Nietes, who will face Ramon Garcia Hirales on September 10 in his hometown of Bacolod City, is a fighter that Lewkowicz feels could be a major star in boxing – if only he was 20 pounds heavier. "That is the reason; people don't appreciate the small weight divisions. I believe he is a great fighter, and he doesn't have the recognition only for his weight division." Lewkowicz believes that Nietes will have little trouble capturing the WBO 108-pound title in September. He said that Nietes needs to focus on Hirales before thinking of challenging Nicaragua's Ramon "Chocolatito" Gonzalez or move up in weight to 112 lbs to follow the likes of Giovani Segura and Brian Viloria. "First of all we need to see Hirales, then we'll see about the rest." Casimero hopes to bounce back One fighter already at 112 is Johnriel Casimero, who is 14-2 (eight knockouts) from Ormoc City, Leyte. Casimero, under Gello-ani's stable, has lost two straight against after scoring an upset when he stopped Cesar Canchilla to win the interim world title. Casimero's two losses were agains Hirales and South Africa's Moruti Mthalane in their 12-round bout for the IBF flyweight title. Casimero will head to the African Republic of Zambia on August 20 to face Sydney Olympian Kennedy Kanyanta, an 11-0 (nine KOs). "Casimero is coming from a couple of losses that he needs to recoup and hopefully he can do right for himself and train properly," said Lewkowicz. "He's an excellent boxer; he can be a star if he wants to be a star." Lewkowicz says that he isn't worried that they were given less than a month for the fight because "he's always in shape, his training is not the kind that he needs to lose a lot of weight." Casimero's greatest hurdle may be in overcoming the time difference in Zambia. Future world champ Lewkowics is also optimistic about the future of 22-year-old Froilan "The Sniper" Saludar of General Santos City. Saludar, one of Gello-ani's fighters at the flyweight division, will face Gabriel Pumar on August 6 at the Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park in Kawit, Cavite. He holds a 12-0-1 record (nine KOs) and is on the fast track to a world title. Lewkowicz's plan is to get Saludar into a title elimination bout in his next two or three fights, and then a world title opportunity next year. Judging by his number four ranking with the WBO and the "vacant WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title" that is at stake next month, it seems like Saludar is being positioned for the belt currently held by Brian Viloria at 112 pounds. Lewkowicz would love to recreate his star-making magic he experienced with Pacquiao. "The problem is we have Manny Pacquiao, and until Manny Pacquiao retires, it'll be very hard to find another one. There cannot be two lions in the same pack. For now, Pacqiuao is still the lion, all the rest are only there because he wants us to be there." "I believe that after Manny Pacquiao retires, there will come many other Manny Pacquiaos. There will be another superstar." – JVP, GMA News Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News and the Filipino Reporter newspaper in New York City. He can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com. An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryansongalia.

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