By Gabriel F. Cordero
The undefeated young Panamanian knockout prospect Maximiliano Bonilla (10-0, 10 KOs), 28, will have his first fight outside Panama this weekend when he faces 29-year-old Argentine Braian Arguello (11-7, 5 KOs) in a 10-round bout at the Argentine Boxing Federation Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The event is organized by Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing and Carlos Andres Tello of Tello Box.
Sampson Lewkowicz, the promoter known as the Angel of Latin American Boxing, founded the “Sowing Champions” program to support Panamanian boxing and is now looking to pave the way for Bonilla’s future.
Bonilla traveled to Argentina on Wednesday, September 2, and has strong support from influential businessman and potential presidential candidate David Virzi.
Bonilla enters the bout as the favorite, having been named Panama’s Boxer of the Year. He is also the country’s number-one featherweight and has been its national champion since 2025, despite beginning his professional career only in January 2024.
Argentine Braian Arguello began his professional career in 2018 and is reminiscent of boxers of yesteryear, such as Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez, Ruben Castillo, Juan Laporte, and Mike Rossman, among others who gave their all in the ring. Arguello has never been knocked out in any of his seven defeats and has faced some of the best super bantamweight, featherweight, and super featherweight fighters in Argentina, including Adrian Maximiliano Robledo, Hector Andres Sosa, Dylan Alexander Abel Navarro, Neri Ariel Cruz Romero, and Rodrigo Fabian Ruiz.
Bonilla has all the tools, both inside and outside the ring, to shine, and this fight is expected to be a victory that begins to showcase him to the world. Panama has produced world champions in this division, including Eusebio Pedroza, Ernesto Marcel, and Rafael Ortega, and Bonilla will be looking to follow in their footsteps.
