Lewkowicz applies lessons learned from Sonsona to Saludar

A miscommunication within international promoter Sampson Lewkowicz's camp could have wasted Froilan Saludar's chance of fighting for the International Boxing Federation's (IBF) number two ranking against Ronald Barrera of Colombia but the Filipino flyweight prospect from General Santos City remains undaunted. Saludar (13-0-1, 10 knockouts) passed his first intermediate test as a professional when he stopped Gabriel Pumar in 10 rounds earlier this month but became ineligible for the elimination bout against Barrera (29-8-2, 18 KOs) when he took that interim match held at the Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park in Kawit, Cavite. The IBF declared Saludar ineligible for the Barrera fight arranged by Lewkowicz, a Las Vegas-based native of Uruguay. Saludar is unfazed with the recent turn of events and said that he will still fight Barrera on September 17 at the Resorts World Hotel and Casino in Pasay City, with or without a ranking at stake. The setback will delay the 22-year-old Saludar's quest for a world title, and maybe that's not a bad thing. The first world champion Lewkowicz and Filipino promoter Sammy Gello-ani collaborated on was Marvin Sonsona, who is from the same 'GenSan' neighborhood as Saludar. Sonsona, like Saludar, was a prodigious puncher capable of scoring one-punch knockouts, and at age 19 became the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight champion with a hard-fought win over Jose "Carita" Lopez in 2009. But his success was short lived. Sonsona, a product of abject poverty, was making more money than he knew how to handle. Too young and immature to handle success, Sonsona's boxing career went south as he lost his world title on the scales before his first title defense, followed by a knockout defeat several months later. Sonsona's rise and fall all took place in the span of five months. "After the experience we had with Sonsona, maybe it's for the best," said Lewkowicz. "Maybe it's better if [Saludar] waits longer for the opportunity." Sonsona returns on September 24 against Mexican Leopoldo Gonzalez (14-2-1, nine KOs) at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu. According to Gello-ani, Sonsona's awakening took place after reading an article published at GMA News Online last month detailing the disappointment his handlers felt about his fall from grace. Yet, while Lewkowicz is confident that Sonsona will regain his previous form with his added maturity, he isn't ready to forgive just yet. "After what happened with Sonsona, it really hurt me so much," said Lewkowicz. "He hurt all of Team Sonsona and many of the youth. He needs to be an example that they need more experience to go to the next level. "He needs to prove himself, and I can assure you that it will take a long time to prove that. There won't be anything easy for him now. All of the fights, like this now the opponent he has, will be tough fights. He needs to learn to respect and be loyal to himself, his family and to the sport of boxing. Boxing is not a joke; he thought it's a joke." Saludar, who is the brother of national amateur team members Rey and Victorio Saludar, is a little older than Sonsona was at this point in his career, and is married with a child. Saludar's recent victory moved him up at the number three spot in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) rankings. The WBO flyweight champion is Filipino-American Brian Viloria, who has a scheduled mandatory title defense against pound for pound candidate Giovani Segura within the year. Leon Panoncillo, the WBO's Pacific Asian supervisor, says that Gello-ani had informed him that they want to hold back on challenging for the WBO flyweight title while a Filipino was in possession of it, but that Saludar would fight for the belt if it were to change hands. "Gello-ani informed me that he has great plans for Saludar now that he has the support of a Philippine local network that can help build his fighters at home," said Panoncillo. "Rather than bringing them outside the country when they are still young and vulnerable, why take the risk?" Ex-Pacquiao cutman: Pacman to easily beat Marquez Lenny De Jesus was in Manny Pacquiao's corner for most of his early fights in America, patching the nasty cuts sustained in the Filipino southpaw's matches against Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales. Now, as the eight-time world division champion prepares for his third meeting with Marquez, De Jesus feels that Pacquiao will once and for all defeat the Mexican decisively. "Pacquiao will beat him this time easier because he already got his ticket," DeJesus, who resides in Bronx, N.Y., tells GMA News. "Pacquiao already knows which way he's gonna come, how he's gonna come. The first time was a very good fight, the second was close. I think in the weight difference is gonna make Pacquiao better." De Jesus also said that he was originally supposed to be Pacquiao's main trainer over Freddie Roach, but missed out on the opportunity due to a prior engagement in Germany. He said he was supposed to train Pacquiao in New York City at a time when Pacquiao's promoter Murad Muhammad was based on the east coast. De Jesus' last fight with Pacquiao was the first Morales fight. He was Joshua Clottey's main trainer when he fought Pacquiao last year. Laurente to return on Pacquiao-Marquez III undercard? Filipino welterweight contender Dennis Laurente of Parañaque City says he may return to action on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's welterweight title defense against Marquez on November 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 34-year-old Laurente, 38-3-5 (20 KOs), knocked out no-hoper Cris Alag in one round just two weeks. Laurente fought on the undercard of Pacquiao-Margarito last year, dominating Pacquiao sparring partner Rashad Holloway at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. Casimero upset by 4th delay to Kanyanta fight Flyweight contender Johnriel Casimero of Ormoc City, Leyte is upset that his clash against unbeaten African Kennedy Kanyanta has been delayed a fourth time. The 21-year-old Casimero (14-2, eight KOs) will now face Kanyanta (11-0, nine KOs) on October 20 instead of September 24. The fight will be in Kanyanta's home country of Zambia. "I'm so disappointed about that fight because there's so many times that they postponedit," said Casimero, who is coming off back-to-back losses to world titlists Moruti Mthalane and Ramon Garcia. "He is a good boxer and a knockout artist, but I want to give him a good fight," Casimero said of Kanyanta. Casimero, who is also promoted by the tandem of Gello-ani and Lewkowicz as Saludar and Sonsona, hasn't won since 2009, when he knocked out former world champion Cesar Canchilla in 11 rounds. – 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: @RyanSongalia.