Don’t get them mixed up. The Biblical Samson spelled his first name differently and he unfortunately got involved with the Philistines.
I’m referring to boxing’s Sampson, international matchmaker par excellence (with portfolio) Sampson Lewkowicz and he is one of the people who is delighted to be delivering the March 4 Boxing World Cup: Mexico Vs. The Philippines to Cebu. This Sampson is only as strong as the competitive matches he puts together. You can’t just cut off his hair to weaken him or get him mixed up with that whacky Delilah.
This historic card, which will include three world title bouts (including Filipino hero Rey “Boom” Bautista facing Ponce De Leon for the WBO 122-pound title) and four solid six-rounders, is being formulated and finalized now by Golden Boy Promotions, Sammy Gello-ani’s SGG Promotions and ALA Promotions. (The WBO, particularly President Paco Valcarcel and Asia-Pacific leader Leon Panoncillo, have also been instrumental.)
Bautista ( 21-0, 16 KOs) is the #1 ranked contender to De Leon. (30-1, 28 knockouts).
“We’re expecting a sellout crowd of 30,000 people,” Lewkowicz said by phone from his Las Vegas HQ today. “This is really going to be a sensational show. This will be Golden Boy’s first overseas show (GBP has done shows in Mexico). Oscar De La Hoya. Eric Gomez and I will go to the Philippines for a press conference and to deliver the World Cup which worth a half million dollars.”
By any name, World Cup, Carnival Of Champions or whatever, this show is loaded.
Lewkowicz revealed to boxingconfidential.com that the seven bouts will be scheduled for prime-time viewing in the United States and that GBP is continuing discussions with likely American telecasters. The matchmaker also told me that . De La Hoya commissioned a tremendous trophy which goes to the winning country.
“It’s the real deal. It is laden with pure gold, diamonds sapphires and rubies. The trophy will be guarded 24 hours a day by armed men. Each member of the winning team will receive a Link watch, from the sponsor of the trophy,” Lewkowicz said.
For those who don’t know, Lewkowicz is more than a fistic footnote in the rise of Pacland’s patron saint, Manny Pacquaio. Back when San Francisco lawyer Sydney Hall was struggling without success to get Manny an American promoter, it was Lewkowicz who prodded Murad Muhammad into taking the Pacman project on. This was after Don King, Bob Arum and others had spurned Hall’s Pacman pitch.
It was also Lewkowicz who, working with new promoter Jose Nunez, just presented the greatest boxing card ever held in the Dominican Republic, a bill which was headlined by national hero, undefeated world champion and probable Pacman foe Joan Guzman. That card drew a packed house of more than 10,000 in Santo Domingo on December 18.
“Manny is great,” Lewkowicz said. “No doubt he is the most popular and most exciting fighter out there now but we want the world to know that Pacman’s great country has more great boxing talent. It is not just limited to Manny,” Lewkowicz said. “And Mexico’s reputation for producing great world champions is beyond compare. These are two nations with great pride and patriotism and they produce great fighters with carry that national pride into the ring with them. That makes for classic fights.”
There has been speculation that De Leon may reject the fight with the formidable Bautista but Lewkowicz thinks otherwise.
“DeLeon is a proud champion. He would fight King Kong on the Empire State Bullding. He has no fear so I am sure he will go to Cebu to fight Boom Boom. This will be the first time, I believe, they have ever had three world title bouts on one night on one show in the Philippines. In other WBO title bouts, top ranked contender Z Gorres (26-1-1, 14 KOs) of the Philippines will face champ Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel (32-2-1, 24 KOs) at 115 pounds and Mexico’s Jhonny Gonzales (33-5, 28 KOs), the WBO bantamweight king, will fight the respected veteran Filipino Gerry Penalosa (51-5-2, 34 KOs). If Gonzales does not fight, Penalosa will fight on the big fight. And Gonzalez will be stuck with his mandatory against Irene Pacheco.”
Should a title match fall out, Lewkowicz may plug in WBO junior flyweight champ Hugo Fidel “El Increible” Cazarez (24-3-1, 18 KOs) of Mexico against a Filipino challenger. Cazares comes off a strong stoppage of top contender Nelson Dieppa in Puerto Rico.
Lewkowicz has loaded the undercard with rising Filipino stars Alex John”Bazooka” Banal, an 18-year-old who is 10-0-1 with eight KOs, and Donnie Nietes, who is 19-1-3 with 11 knockouts. The southpaw slugger “Bazooka” is a super flyweight from Cebu while the 105-pound Nietes is from Bacolod City. Also on the lower half of the bill is the popular “Executioner,” the veteran Jimrex Jaca whose pro record is now 27-3-1 with 12 KOs.
This Sampson has got this show loaded. Now all he’s got to do is lock it down. Fistic history will be made in Cebu.
This Sampson is not like the Biblical Samson. Scissors don’t scare Sampson. The only thing that scares this Sampson is fighters who don’t give the paying customers value for money. Matching Mexico vs. The Philippines you generally don’t have that problem.
