Young champ eyes big goals

Bob Arum admits he lucked out.

The head of Top Rank didn't expect Steven Luevano to be his next world champion. Arum thought Marshall Martinez would be the star when he agreed to promote the two boxers.

"We signed them as a package deal," Arum said of the two Southern California fighters. "(Luevano) was a really good kid who had a lot of skills. But to be honest, we thought Martinez was the one who would go further. If we hadn't signed Martinez, I don't know that we would have signed Steven."

Martinez's career never got far. He had all sorts of problems outside the ring, and Top Rank cut ties with him quickly. Martinez last fought in 2003.

Things turned out quite differently for Luevano.

He will defend his WBO featherweight title Saturday against Thailand's Terdsak Jandaeng on the undercard of the world super featherweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

"The dream is barely starting," Luevano said. "I still have a long way to go to accomplish what I want to do, which is unify the (126-pound) division. And when I move up, I want to win those titles."

Luevano, 26, will be making his second title defense when he meets Jandaeng (29-2, 19 knockouts). Luevano expects another tough fight, similar to his first title defense when he scored a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Antonio Davis in October.

"I'm going to use my jab a lot and just box him," Luevano said. "He's a lot like Davis, another strong guy.

"If you look at my record, I'm not a knockout artist. I just want to keep my distance and outbox him."

Luevano, 34-1 with 15 KOs, said having former world champion lightweight Robert Garcia working his corner has helped accelerate his development.

"Robert has me training harder," Luevano said. "Everyone wants to be a world champion, and Robert has been there. So he pushes me to make sure I don't get complacent.

"We've trained very hard for this fight. I've sparred more. Hit the heavy bag more. Done a lot of strength work. I know this is going to be a tough fight, and I want to be at my best."

• PACQUIAOS IN TOWN -- It's a big week for the Pacquiaos in Las Vegas.

In addition to Manny Pacquiao's fight against Marquez, his younger brother, Bobby Pacquiao, will fight on a Top Rank card Thursday at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Bobby Pacquiao is scheduled to face Urbano Antillon in a 10-round lightweight bout.

Antillon is 21-0 with 14 KOs, and Pacquiao, 28-13-3 with 13 KOs, said this will be one of the toughest fights in his career.

He has spent the last two months training in Los Angeles with his brother and said being away from his home in the Philippines helped him.

"I'm well prepared," he said. "I've been training right alongside Manny. I'm ready to fight."

Headlining the card, which will be televised live on Versus (Cable 67), is heavyweight Tye Fields (39-1, 35 KOs). The former San Diego State basketball player will meet Frenchman Josue Blocus (15-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

• HATTON IS GOLDEN -- British welterweight Ricky Hatton has signed with Golden Boy Promotions as he attempts to broaden his appeal with boxing fans beyond the United Kingdom.

Hatton, who lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand Garden, is expected to fight Juan Lazcano in Hatton's native Manchester, England, in May.

Hatton is the latest to join Oscar De La Hoya's growing stable of fighters, which includes Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.