International boxing agent Sampson Lewkowicz told Boxingconfidential.com at 11:59 pm (EDT) Thursday that he does not believe the rumors swirling around about his fighter, Argentine Jorge Barrios, be dumped as WBC champion Juan Manuel Marquez’s Sept 15 Las Vegas opponent so that Golden Boy Promotions can instead stage a Marquez-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch.
“This is news for me,” Lewkowicz said from his Las Vegas mansion. “I cannot believe it because I am sure someone from Golden Boy would call me and let me know this. It also does not make any sense if Golden Boy is going to settle its disputes with Top Rank over Manny Pacquaio.
“If Barrera or Marquez get knocked off, then Golden Boy only has the winner of that rematch and Joan Guzman to offer as Pacman opponents to Bob Arum,” Lewkowicz said.
“Right now, Golden Boy can say to Arum that they have three great opponents for Manny…Marquez, Barrera and Guzman. Why knock one of them off before he fights Pacquaio? That does not make sense to me. Golden Boy would lose all its leverage in any dealing with Top Rank and Top Rank’s only viable opponent for Manny is Humberto Soto.”
