During Friday’s fights at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino I ran across advisor Sampson Lewkowicz, always one to welcome to a good conversation. Lewkowicz manages some of the sport’s finest talent and has one of the most hectic schedules around as he is traveling constantly and always handling business for his clients.
Hours earlier I was in the gym with lightweight contender Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero as he sparred some vigorous rounds in preparation for his April 9th collision with Australia’s Michael Katsidis, who Lewkowicz works with closely. The lightweight tussle is shaping up as one of the most compelling fights of the early 2011 season yet while many feel the fight is a pick em’, Lewkowicz has little doubt about the outcome.
“I totally believe that he will knock Guerrero out and he won’t stop towards becoming a champion. He deserves it and he’s a good kid,” Lewkowicz coined.
At the moment Lewkowicz’s prized pupil is middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, now two weeks removed from an 8th round TKO over Germany’s Sergiy Dzinziruk, a victory Lewkowicz still seems smitten by. But when eyeing the Argentinean’s future, Sampson concedes that there is confusion as to which exact direction the team will take but leaves hints as to the next move.
“I was frustrated from day one with Martinez because it doesn’t matter; at 147 he couldn’t get a fight. At 154 it was the same. And 160 is no different. If it is in the United States most likely it would be Peter Manfredo. He’s a worthy challenger that, if nothing else, is available,” he continued.
With no ideal opponents seeming to be available at the moment in the middleweight class, I asked Lewkowicz if a move to 168 could be in the works sometime down the road as Martinez against the likes of fighters like Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Lucian Bute and others is at least worth the thought. Lewkowicz shot down such a scenario, pointing out that the 36-year old has already filled out to his max at 160 pounds.
Lewkowicz would rather see see Martinez face someone closer to his weight class and I finished up our rap session by asking him if Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. was more of an ideal candidate at this point.
“Pacquiao is out of the question. Mayweather is the one.”
