By Thomas Gerbasi (photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank)

Like the fictional wizard Gandalf in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings, WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano “is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”

At 28 years old, and with 39 fights to his name, Luevano’s time finally comes on Saturday night, when he steps into the ring at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater and faces off against Puerto Rican star Juan Manuel Lopez.

Lopez is bringing the name, the fans, and the money this weekend, and he is expected to use Luevano and his belt to set up an eventual showdown with Cuba’s Yuriorkis Gamboa (who is featured in the HBO co-main event against Rogers Mtagwa). Luevano knows this, and is well aware that even with a 37-1-1 record and five successful title defenses, he is seen as a bit player in Saturday’s biggest fight. In fact, he thinks Lopez feels the same way.

“I guess he figures that this is gonna be an easy fight for him,” Luevano told BoxingScene. “That’s why he didn’t take a tune-up fight. Other reporters have told me that he’s said that I haven’t fought anybody and that he doesn’t think I’m a really good fighter. I don’t know if he did say it or not, but I’ve got it in my head that he’s taking me lightly.”

He pauses, then chuckles a bit.

“I’m not worried about him though.”

It’s not the usual reaction when it comes to Caguas’ “JuanMa”, he of the spotless record of 27-0 with 24 knockouts. But in his last fight as a 122-pound champion last October, Lopez showed some cracks in his foundation as the steel-chinned Mtagwa took his thunder, kept coming forward, and almost took the Puerto Rican out in the final round.

Luevano, like most, was an interested observer, and when you take the conclusion of that fight and add in the factor of him moving up to 126 pounds, the Los Angeles native likes his chances this weekend.

“At 122 he was naturally the bigger guy, but now that he’s moving up, I’m gonna be the bigger, stronger guy,” said Luevano. “Even though I don’t have a record like his with all those knockouts, that doesn’t mean anything – I know I hit hard. And he faded in the later rounds (against Mtagwa) because he doesn’t have a lot of fights that make it past the sixth round. He only has a couple and he looks like he fades out. That’s what I plan on doing. I’m gonna take my time, I’m not gonna rush it, I’m gonna let him wear himself out coming at me, and once it goes past the sixth round, we’re gonna put the pressure on and watch him fade away.”

Not too many fighters will go on the record with their gameplan like that, but Luevano is not your typical fighter, something his longtime manager Cameron Dunkin will most certainly agree with.

“He’s not my usual guy,” said Dunkin with a smile. “He’s never been in a lick of trouble, I never heard him raise his voice. He’s incredible.”

That calm has been part of his life from birth. Ask him if he was the mature kid in school and he laughs as if you caught on to some deep, dark secret.

“Pretty much yeah.”

It’s also extended to his boxing career, and has been a key part of his success. A talented amateur who was a 2000 US Olympic team alternate, Luevano didn’t enter the pro ranks in a blaze of glory, something made clear by his nearly 40 fight resume. By that time, some highly touted amateurs are either finishing their pro careers or starting to get into the big money paydays.

Others, like his cousin Marshall Martinez, fall off track.

Earlier this month the LA Times reported that Martinez, who was on the 2000 Olympic team briefly and compiled a 9-0 pro record, was convicted of attempted murder, assault with a firearm, and robbery. Not the news you want before the biggest fight of your life, but Dunkin believes Luevano’s head is clear heading into the bout.

“Marshall was away from him most of the time,” said Dunkin. “When they were little, and in the amateurs and when they would go to camp together, they were close, but Marshall’s been so far out of his life for so long.”

And though Luevano wasn’t in the dark about his cousin’s shortcomings, he refused to be judgmental.

“He (Luevano) would always just smile and shrug his shoulders, and say ‘that’s Marshall,’ and giggle and walk away,” said Dunkin. “He’s sad about it, but I don’t think that’s gonna affect him. I think he understands that Marshall is Marshall.”

And Steven is Steven, a polar opposite of his cousin whose days are spent in the gym and with his wife, Marina, and their three kids. So while he was taking the long road to glory and watching his peers race into title fights, he didn’t bat an eye. The fight game is a marathon, not a sprint, and he was lacing up for the long haul.

“I’ve always liked to take my time,” said Luevano. “I didn’t want to be rushed fighting big fights so early in my career. Once you do that and you’re not ready, that can ruin your career. Cameron did a real good job taking his time and I’m happy where I’m at right now.”

As for the doubters along the way, another side of Luevano emerges – a stubborn one.

“I don’t like to be rushed and I don’t like other people telling me what to do,” he said. “I did have a lot of other people saying ‘oh, you should change managers because you should be champion by now. You already have so many fights and you’ve been fighting for so many years, you should be champion.’ I would just say it will come when it comes and happen when it happens.”

In July of 2007, it happened, as traveled to England to knock out 27-0 local hero Nicky Cook in the 11th round and win the vacant WBO crown. Since then, Luevano has defeated Antonio Davis, Terdsak Jandaeng, Billy Dib, and Bernabe Concepcion, and drew with Mario Santiago in defense of his title. He’s earned his belt and his respect, but nothing is as important as this fight with Lopez. It’s actually got him showing some emotion.

“I’ve never seen him so excited about a fight,” said Dunkin. “Not even close. Even when he fought Nicky Cook for the title in England, he was happy but sort of nonchalant about it. This thing, he’s really pumped and excited. I know everybody says it, but I think you’re going to see the best of Steven Luevano. He knows this is his moment and I think he’s got a real good shot. I know it’s not gonna be easy and I know it’s dangerous as hell and I know this guy can change the fight at any time in any round. But he knows that and you’ll see how level-headed he is and I think he’s going to do very, very well.”

Right on time.