The easy way would’ve been to get all over Marvin Sonsona promoter Sampson Lewkowicz like the proverbial cheap suit.
How dare Cool Hand Lewk, a native of Uruguay, say that he personally will never permit the 19 year old Sonsona to fight Pinoy countryman and fellow world champion Nonito Donaire? What’s so special about the WBO 115 pound champion (Sonsona) and his WBA interim counterpart?
On the surface, in black and white, it sounds dumber than dumb. Either that or the height of arrogance.
Two Pinoys can’t fight each other? Is Sampson saying the country and the people are better or maybe worse than other countries in which two boxers of the same nationality fight each other?
If American Muhammad Ali could fight countryman Joe Frazier and two Brits, a pair of Frenchmen or a couple of Germans or Ukrainians can climb in the ring and exchange punches, then why not Donaire and the new sensation from Manny Pacquiao’s home base of General Santos City?
Instead, of pouncing, I called Berkowitz for amplification for remarks he made to Boxing Scene. I had a suspicion that he was leading with his heart and I was right.
First, Berkowitz could not “personally” stop a Sonsona-Donaire bout because he is just one of four Sonsona promoters, the others being Allan Tremblay of Canada, Sammy Gello Anni (Pinoy) and Warriors Boxing of Florida.
But Berkowitz makes it clear his personal preference is to keep the two young Pinoy champions from squaring off. And it’s not because Donaire’s former trainer, his own father Nonito Sr., trains Sonsona.
“It will never happen as far as I am concerned,” Berkowitz said. “If I’m the lead promoter and the decision is mine, it will never happen.”
It’s his opinion that Sonsona and Donaire should not fight because both have plenty of non-Pinoy opponents.
“I’ve been treated so well in the Philippines, from the common man to mayors and other dignitaries, that I feel speak with some emotion on this.
“Regardless of the money, I hope that fight does not happen.”
Promotional poppycock or one man’s sincere thought? Only time will tell.
“I think the more (world) champions the country has, the better. I think it would be wrong for the two fight each other. Nonito’s father has nothing to do with my thoughts. To me, the money is secondary as I feel the Philippines has two good kids, Marvin and Nonito, who are world champions so why eliminate one?”
Give the man the benefit of the occupational doubt. Anyone who knows this Sampson knows he is an emotional person.
Let him wear his heart on his sleeve as of now.
Sonsona-Donaire is just an academic discussion at this point.
If they both keep winning, and it becomes the biggest non-Pacquiao bout in Pinoy history, they will weigh the money.
The financial scales will win that fight.
They always do.
