Egis Klimas: From Pizza Packer to Top Boxing Promoter

he Journey of Egis Klimas: From Immigrant to Boxing Powerhouse

Almost 30 years ago, Egis Klimas, a native of Lithuania, arrived in the United States. His story mirrors the narratives of many who have achieved the "American dream": starting as a pizza packer, crab catcher, entrepreneur, and ultimately rising to prominence as a top manager in the boxing world. Currently, Egis manages some of the world's finest athletes, including Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko, widely recognized as one of the best boxers regardless of weight class. Some experts also consider Russian Sergey Kovalev, another protégé of Klimas, as a top contender in the boxing realm.

How It All Began?

His journey commenced with hard work and a stroke of luck. Growing up and serving in the Soviet Union, our hero seized an opportunity to immigrate to the United States, specifically Seattle, immediately after completing military service, with only $42 to his name upon arrival. Despite initially relying on food coupons, Egis found himself lost in the vast metropolis, unsure of his purpose in this new land.

owever, his apathy lasted only three days as he landed his first job at Pizza Hut. With limited English skills, mainly knowing words like "work" and "job," Egis could not have expected more than assembling pizza boxes initially.

Entering the Business Arena

His passion for fishing played a crucial role in taking a significant step forward. Through a Lithuanian acquaintance, Egis secured a position on a crab-fishing vessel off the Alaskan coast, owned by her husband. Despite working 20-hour days without weekends, Egis managed to amass a substantial sum of $15,000 within three months. With this seed money, he ventured into a small business of supplying American goods to his contacts in the former Soviet Union.

Initially dealing in sneakers and later expanding to various household appliances, his business evolution led to founding a company importing food products from Asian countries to the US. A pinnacle of Klimas' enterprises was the sale of an entire sawmill from Oregon to Russia. He orchestrated a team to dismantle, transport, reassemble, and start the operation on a Russian island.

Boxing: A Passion Turned Profession

From the narrative, it is evident that Egis Klimas falls into the category of individuals capable of selling almost anything, a skill honed through excellent negotiation abilities that served him well. Boxing had been his passion since childhood, engaging in the sport even in his youth. Finally settling in the US in the mid-'90s, he frequented Las Vegas not for the famed casinos but to attend boxing matches. It took nearly a decade to establish contacts with the right people before bringing Sergei Kovalev to the US in 2003.

Kovalev's journey mirrors Klimas' own story, with Egis notably supporting the young and relatively unknown boxer initially, covering his training and accommodation expenses. Kovalev eventually rose to become a world champion in the light heavyweight division, a force to be reckoned with in the boxing arena.

Through his work with Kovalev, Egis Klimas also introduced him to the talented Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko. While Lomachenko was already a two-time Olympic champion before partnering with Egis, he lacked the necessary contacts and expertise in American boxing promotion. Thanks to Klimas, Lomachenko emerged as a unique boxing prodigy, clinching a world champion title in only his third professional bout.

Future Prospects

Egis Klimas is displeased with the current immigration policies under Donald Trump's administration, geared towards reducing migrant inflow into the US. He, along with Sergey Kovalev and Vasiliy Lomachenko, arrived in America as unknown individuals but transformed their lives through hard work, talent, and seizing the opportunities to achieve outstanding success.

He fervently hopes for a change in the present scenario, where every individual continues to have the chance to realize their full potential and embrace the essence of the "American dream" to the fullest!

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