Trading with Sampson Lewkowicz
Life is good these days for boxing agent, advisor, and matchmaker extraordinaire Sampson Lewkowicz, whose stock has never been higher thanks to the exploits of middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez. The Uruguayan transplant has been riding high since the Argentine’s one-punch KO of Paul Williams set the boxing world afire last month and was kind enough to spare a few minutes to speak with Stiff Jab.
“I want to be modest, but I should remind you that I discovered Manny Pacquiao," Lewkowicz said when asked what he saw in Martinez. "I have the talent to see the fighters, but this happens only once in ten years. To find pound-for-pound one of the best, it takes time. It doesn’t happen everyday.”
While putting together Spaniard Javier Castillejo’s 2001 bout against Oscar De La Hoya Lewkowicz met the manager who would later introduce him to Martinez. Sampson realized immediately that lightning had struck twice.
“[Martinez had] the same thing I saw in Manny Pacquiao in 2001. Unbelievable speed, courage, and [Sergio] is really a good person like Manny is. A good heart, a good sportsman inside and outside the ring," Lewkowicz said.
But others were not convinced - including Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who passed on Martinez.
"The same thing happened with Pacquiao, nobody cared about Manny in 2001," Lewkowicz said. "I gave [Sergio] to Golden Boy, Top Rank, all of them denied the opportunity except Lou DiBella.”
“It doesn’t mean Richard Schaefer doesn’t believe in me, but we can’t be perfect in life.”
Lewkowicz credits Sergio’s rapid development despite taking up the sport at age 20 to trainer Gabriel Sarmiento. He pointed to Martinez’s December 2007 fourth round-TKO of Russell Jordan at Paradise Theater in the Bronx as the moment everyone knew “Maravilla” would live up to his moniker.
“I’ll never forget when he fought in the Bronx, the first time that he fought was against Russell Jordan and it happens I worked his corner. Gabriel says ‘double up on the body and we go home.’ So Sergio doubles up in fourth round and he knocks him out. Two shots to body in exactly same place.”
"I'll never forgot out how happy Lou DiBella was,“ Lewkowicz recalls fondly. "He said 'I do have a champion.’”
After that Lewkowicz said he knew Martinez would be able to defeat Alex Bunema for the WBC interim title at 154 lbs. What he didn’t foresee was an unexpected setback in the form of a February 2009 draw to Kermit Cintron in a fight that many ringside observers believe Sergio won.
“He beat [Cintron] three times on the same night. Referee Frank Santore Jr. forgot how to count up to ten…actually forgot at ten the fight’s over because the fight continued," Lewkowicz said. "That night was not his night, but he’s a decent ref. He will remember that night for the rest of his life, how naive and stupid he was.”
Lewkowicz also saved some of his wrath for judges, calling the draws from Peter Trematerra and Ged O'Connor “a disgrace” and blaming their decision for one of his personal lows.
“Both of them it was disgrace," Lewkowicz said. "It was hard, probably the worst time of my life. ”
Sampson was less incensed about the first fight against Paul “The Punisher” Williams last December, calling it a close fight but again labeling Pierre Benoist’s score of 119-119 for Williams “a travesty for boxing.”
“I can live with other score (115-113 for Williams by Lynne Carter) or the draw (114-114) Julie Lederman, that’s believable,” he said. Fortunately the majority decision loss proven to be the last moment before things started to really come together for Martinez.
“Then everything it was smooth.”
“I knew that we’d beat Kelly Pavlik [for the middleweight title in April] and I knew the second time against Paul Williams would be a knockout,” he said.
“Sanmiento said Martinez would knockout Williams with an overhand left in the second round. It was a script,” Sampson chuckled.
“It was an unbelievable situation in the dressing room before the fight. Gabriel started to show Martinez how to knock him out. I couldn’t believe it. We have a witness,” Lewkowicz added before admitting he never thought the fight would end so quickly.
“To me it’s a knockout of the century. An unblievable KO, scary,” Sampson said before giving Williams credit for grace in defeat and expressing concern about his health.
“Paul Williams is a great sportsman, he recognized the superiority of the champ. Unlike his trainer, who covered up by saying it was a lucky punch,” he said. “[Sergio] threw the same punch seven times, there was nothing lucky about it”
As for the next challenge, Lewkowicz confirmed that HBO has been taking a hard line on Martinez fighting undefeated Ukranian junior middleweight Sergei Dzinziruk even though Sergio’s camp would prefer to fight German middleweight interim titlist Sebastian Zbik first.
“We’re really disappointed, Martinez really wants to fight the best,” Sampson said. “HBO couldn’t deliver the best and doesn’t want to give him the chance of his mandatory.”
Sampson said as an undefeated champion Zbik deserves a shot at Martinez’s middleweight title. Additionally, Lewkowicz said Martinez felt he was forced to wait too long when he was interim belt-holder and prefers to get his mandatory challenge over now that the shoe is on the other foot.
As for Dzinziruk, Sampson called him “the best 154-lb fighter in the market” with the implication being he is still not big or strong enough to take down Martinez.
“Dzinziruk will beat everyone at 154 lbs. He’s a big boy, bigger than Martinez,” Sampson said. “He’s a good challenge, we would love to do the mandatory and after fight Dzinziruk, but it looks like" Dzinziruk will come first.
When Dzinziruk and Sergio do step in the ring, likely some time early this year, Sampson expects Martinez to win by decision.
"Most likely Sergio will say KO and deliver too,” he adds.
Meanwhile Lewkowicz has an eye on the future as the exclusive promoter of Dominican prospect Javier Fortuna, who made a scintillating debut at Broadway Boxing last month. Fortuna is also under the tutelage of Gabriel Sarmiento and according to Sampson, willing to fight anyone.
“I have a lot of hope for Fortuna. This guy isn’t scared by anyone,” Lewkowicz said. “He’s really a featherweight born to be a junior lightweight.”
Fortuna’s first-round demolition of fellow unbeaten prospect Victor Valenzuela at B.B. King’s prompted Lou DiBella to call him a “big-time prospect” and compare him to unbeaten Cuban featherweight Yuriorkis Gamboa. While Lewkowicz agrees Fortuna will eventually get down to featherweight, he took exception to the Gamboa comparison.
“He’s better than Gamboa, not equal he’s better. He has almost the same background in amateurs and I believe he’s younger and stronger at that age,” Sampson said.
Other prospects Sampson is touting include Julius and John Jackson, son of former three-time middleweight world champion Julian Jackson of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sampson represents both fighters as well as their cousin Roger, all of whom are trained by Julian.
“I believe John Jackson will be equal or better than his father Julian. I expect him to be on HBO for some time to come. Working from the bottom to the top,” Sampson said.
Judging by his track record, we could say the same thing about Lewkowicz.