"I think he is a really good fighter. He's a good, strong fighter. We know that most of his fights have come by knockout, but to me, I think he can't really go the distanceÂ… it's going to be a big factor in this fight because I'm used to going 12 rounds and he's only used to going 4 or 5 rounds, so we're going to take him into the later rounds and finish him," stated WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano as he talked about his upcoming clash this Saturday with Juan Manuel Lopez. Check it out!
PC: Steve, you have a big fight coming up on HBO Saturday night against Juan Manuel Lopez. How is everything going?
SL: Good, good. Everything is going good.
PC: JuanMa is a strong guy and has been compared to Felix Trinidad. What do you think of him as a fighter?
SL: I think he is a really good fighter. He's a good, strong fighter. We know that most of his fights have come by knockout, but to me, I think he can't really go the distance.
PC: So you are thinking your experience in the 12-round fights could play a key role in the outcome?
SL: Yeah, it's going to be a big factor in this fight because I'm used to going 12 rounds and he's only used to going 4 or 5 rounds, so we're going to take him into the later rounds and finish him off in the later rounds.
PC: When you're watching film on a guy that is destroying guys left and right, you can't get anything from that after awhile. In his last fight against Mtagwa, he was in a war. How much does having that tape help your preparation as opposed to having all of his quick knockouts?
SL: Yeah, he did show a lot of vulnerabilities in that fight. He got tired in the later rounds and Mtagwa took over in the later rounds because of him fatiguing.
PC: Like we said, he is a big, strong guy. Have you been sparring with some big punchers to prepare for this fight?
SL: Yeah, we have had some really good sparring partners who threw some hard punches. We had to find a little bit bigger guys because the smaller guys weren't as big of punchers, so we got some heavier guys. Our sparring partners were great; perfect.
PC: The diehard writers and fans know who Steven Luevano is, but the newer fans are probably more familiar with JuanMa than you. How do you plan on taking advantage of being on the big stage Saturday night?
SL: I just want to go in there and do my best and come out with a win and hopefully, along the way, bring some new fans with me.
PC: What do you feel is his biggest strength and how do you plan on capitalizing on his weaknesses?
SL: I just plan on boxing him. That's what we plan on doing, just keeping him on the outside and don't trade punches with him.
PC: Your last fight against Concepcion was a win and you were in control of the fight, but I'm sure that's not the way you wanted it to end. Are you using this fight as motivation to put the last fight to rest?
SL: I already put it behind me. This fight is going to show what I'm really made of and show that I'm a force to be reckoned with.
PC: Do you feel disrespected that he is the favorite coming into this fight or did you already know you would be the underdog?
SL: No, I expected it coming in because I guess he's a stronger puncher, he has more knockouts and he's more known in the public eye, but to me, it doesn't really matter because I like being the underdog to show people what I'm really made of.
PC: I'm sure you are looking to put on a show and have HBO bring you back.
SL: Yeah, hopefully man.
PC: Good luck on Saturday night. I look forward to the fight. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
SL: No. Thank you Percy.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]