By: Ken Hissner
This article is about three of the most successful managers in boxing today with all living in the US but two not born here. They are all active in boxing with great boxers. We have David McWater, living in NYC, Egis Klimas from Lithuania living in WA & Vadim Kornilov from Russia living in L.A.
This writer met McWater in Philadelphia when one of his now thirty-six boxers was on the fight card. From Philadelphia welterweight “The New” Ray Robinson, 24-3 (10), is ranked boxer at No. 11 in the IBF. Another Philadelphia boxer on his list is welterweight Mark Dawson, 4-0-1 (1). A most recent signee from that city is Poindexter Knight, Jr. 2-0 (2), who was the 2017 Golden Gloves champion.
McWater’s boxers come from all parts of the world such as Legor Plevako, 5-0 (3), of the Ukraine. Three are from Uzbekistan such as cruiserweight Botirali Mamajonov, 5-0 (3), living in West Palm Beach, FL. The other is middleweight Hurshidbek Normatov, 5-0 (2), living in Brooklyn, NY. Middleweight Botirsher Obidov, 6-1-1 (2), is living in Kissemee, FL. From Honduras is their 2016 Olympian Teofimo Lopez, 8-0 (6), living in Davie, FL.
From India and fighting out of his home country is Neeraj Goyat, 9-2-2 (2), from Chandigarh and also from India two-time Olympian Vikas Krishan. From Senegal is Boubacar Sylla, 9-0 (7), living in Cincinnati, OH. Finally from Russia is Super lightweight Ivan Bartwchyk, 18-0 (11), living in Miami, OK, on national TV defeated Philadelphia’s Keenan Smith, 11-0 and Petr Petrov 38-5-2 on Showtime. He is No. 4 in the IBF having won the USBA title in 2017.
Some of the more experienced boxers are Wesley “King Wes” Tucker, 14-2 (8), a southpaw super welter from Toledo, OH, Antonio “Carita” Nieves, 17-2-2 (9), a bantamweight from Cleveland, OH, Christopher Pearson, 14-2 (10), a super welter from Trotwood, OH, heavyweight Darlington Agha, 10-1-1 (7), from Sugar Land, TX, Joe Williams, 12-0 (8), a cruiserweight from Far Rockaway, Queens, NY, Isaiah Steen 10-0 (8), a super middleweight from Cleveland, OH, Michael “The Silverback” Moore, 15-1 (7), a middleweight from Cleveland, OH. Also 2016 US Olympian Antonio Vargas, 6-0 (3), living in Kissimmee, FL, and 2016 Olympian Charles Conwell, 7-0 (5), of Cleveland, OH.
Possibly the best known manager in the business is Lithuanian Egis Klimas living in Edmonds, WA, who has the P4P best boxer in the world in WBO Super Featherweight Champion Vasyl “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko, 10-1 (8), of the Ukraine. All 15 of Klimas’ boxers are born outside the US. Other world champions he has are Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, 14-0 (11), the WBC and WBO Cruiserweight Champion and Russian Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, 32-2-1 (28), WBO Light heavyweight champion and Bakhram Murtazallev, 12-0 (10) IBA Super Welter champion.
From KAZ are Super Welter Madiyar Ashkeyev, 9-0 (5), Middle Meiirim Nursultanov, 6-0 (5), and Super Feather Ashkat Uallkhanov, 2-1 (2). From Russia are Welter Alexander Besputin, 9-0 (7), Welter Maxim Dadashev, 9-0 (9), Heavyweight Gasan Gimbatov, 3-1 (2) and Feather Evgeny Gradovich, 23-2-1 (9), who holds the WBA I/C title. From UZB is Super Light Fazllddin Galbnazarov, 3-0 (1). From Georgia is Welter Enriko Gogokhia, 7-0 (3). From Lithuania Egidijus Kavallauskas, 19-0 (16), NABF Welter champion.
Vadim Kornilov is a manager/agent from Russia living in L.A. and has 11 current boxers and had actor Mickey Rourke, 6-0-2 (5). They include WBA Light Heavy Champion Dmitry Bivol, 13-0 (11), from KYR, living in Russia. He has Russians in WBO I/C Feather champion is Evgeny Chuprakov, 19-0 (10), Heavyweight Andre Afonin, 5-0 (2), Radzhab “The Python” Butaev, 8-0 (6), who won the NABF Super Welter title in 2016, Cruiser Alexey Egorov, 4-0 (3), Lightweight Gaybatulla Gadzhialiev, 5-0 (1), Heavyweight Sergey Kuzmin, 11-0-1 (8), Cruiser Denis Lebedev, 30-2 (22), WBA Super World Champion, and former WBO Super Light Champion Ruslan “The Russian Rocky” Provodnikov, 25-5 (18). From the Ukraine are the former WBA Super Lightweight Champion Viktor “The Ice Man” Postol, 29-1 (12), and Taras Shelestyuk, 16-0 (10) who won the WBO NABO Welter title in 2016.