http://www.maxboxing.com/news/main-lead/luevano-calls-it-a-dayLuevano Calls it a Day
Thu 26-Aug-2010 10:10
(Steve Luevano)
(Steve Luevano)
By Steve Kim
This past January 23rd inside the WaMu Theater at the famed Madison Square Garden, Steven Luevano lost his WBO featherweight crown to Puerto Rican star Juan Manuel Lopez in what was his biggest platform (his first appearance on HBO) and his most lucrative payday. Even though he was stopped in seven heats, Luevano, it seemed, was still a boxer with some fight left in him, being just 29 years of age.
It turned out to be the final fight of a career that began in 2000.
Last week, Luevano made the somewhat surprising decision to retire and walk away from the sport. One of the first calls he made was to his manager, Cameron Dunkin, who admitted to Maxboxing that his fighter’s decision, "kind of shocked me. But listen, I want to support him in whatever he wants to do."
After his loss to “JuanMa,” Luevano eventually returned to the gym and begun the process of resuming his career. But when he was informed by Dunkin that Top Rank- which had promoted the native of La Puente, California throughout his career- had sent notice of his release, it broke Luevano’s spirit.
"It was heartbreaking," said Luevano, an honest and earnest individual not prone to hyperbole. "So after that, I just didn’t feel like doing it anymore. I didn’t give it my all, pretty much."
Dunkin had begun to reach out to other promoters in regard to Luevano. But he says, "I just wanted to stick with one promoter; I didn’t want to be jumping from promoter to promoter. Yeah, De La Hoya (Golden Boy Promotions) would pick me up, yeah, but then what if Top Rank was like, ’We want to get you again.’ See, I’m going to be jumping back and forth like that? I wasn’t really into doing that. I wanted to stick with Top Rank. That’s why I stood with Top Rank for ten years. So I just didn’t feel like jumping back and forth and I did feel betrayed when they had let me go. They didn’t even have a good reason to let me go."
When asked about the sudden dismissal, Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank said, "I don’t know the actual situation on that. I’m not sure; I don’t know; I’m not 100 percent sure what transpired there. I think there was a little bit of miscommunication of what the involvement that we would want to have going forward and what his expectations were. So I really don’t know that much."
Dunkin did confirm that, "Top Rank had actually contacted me and said that they wanted him back. Todd said he didn’t know anything about it; Bob [Arum], in Puerto Rico, said he never knew. So those guys, Bob and Todd, said they never knew he was released when I approached them about it. Todd said, ’No, we definitely want him back and if you want, you can bring him back.’ But, at that point, like the kid said to me the other day, basically, ’When Top Rank released me, it stuck a dagger in my heart. I’ve just never gotten my drive back.’"
The notice of Luevano’s release- which somehow evaded the top two chieftains at Top Rank- came in early July.
"He was already in camp for about a month-and-a-half, so it did catch me by surprise. Because being in camp, we were already helping him out- myself and Cameron- to get ready to get him a date," said his trainer, Robert Garcia, of Luevano’s decision. "Cameron was very close to finding him a date. But I was a bit surprised but I was actually happy he made that decision. I told him, ’You’re a world champion with five title defenses and losing in his sixth against a champion like Juan Manuel Lopez. He did what very few fighters are able to accomplish. He’s a family man, so I told him, ’I’m proud of you; you’re always going to be our friend. Enjoy your kids; enjoy your family and if you want to be a part of our team, you’re welcome to be a part of it.’
Added Garcia, "Cameron and myself, we already talked about if he wants to help us out with the fighters, find a fighter or two, he’s welcome to be part of the team. So I’m happy he made this decision."
Luevano is just 29 years old and started boxing at age six. Boxing is quite the grind for its participants. Was burnout or mental fatigue a factor in his choice to walk away now?
"A little, yeah," said Luevano, "It’s mostly losing the weight. Y’ know, other than that, I was getting a little sick of it but not to where I am now." But Luevano reiterated, "What really got me hurt was when Top Rank let me go. It made me just want to give it up."
But boxers have been known to change their minds regarding such choices. Comebacks of retired fighters aren’t just accepted; they are almost expected. But Garcia, like his fighter, was a world titlist in his day who walked away early from the ring- never to return.
"In my case," he says, "I never did get that temptation. I was 34-3; I had my last fight at 30. [Editor’s Note: Impressively enough, Garcia’s final fight was at age 26] I remember talking to Genaro Hernandez and he was close to ten years older than me and he was telling me, ’Robert, if I was 30, I’d be out there getting ready to fight again.’ Because that’s when Pacquiao was at ’30, Morales and Barrera and all these guys, I just said, ’Y’ know what? I just don’t feel like doing it. My body just doesn’t want to wake up and run or don’t want to fight. I’m enjoying my kids; I’m having a good time right now. So I definitely don’t want to do it.’
"I never got that desire to do it, again, and that’s being honest. I’ve never sparred, anything. I just didn’t want to do it."
What helped Garcia transition into civilian life was getting into the family business, which was helping his father, Eduardo, train fighters. Now, Garcia runs his own gym in Oxnard and has a talented stable of fighters he works with.
Luevano is much more Kurt Warner than Brett Favre. This is final- and last- decision.
"Yeah, I’m sure about it," stated Luevano. Really? How is he so sure?
"I know I’m going to go crazy on eating and there’s no way I’m gonna go back and try and lose 50 pounds in three months. There’s no way I’ll do that."
It’s a novel way of doing it. Get so fat that a comeback is not even feasible.
"Well, not THAT fat, but yeah...," he said, laughing at the thought.
Luevano retires with a mark of 37-2-1 (15) and a major world title to his credit. Not bad for a young man who was considered a thrown-in signing by Dunkin and Top Rank after the 2000 Olympic Trials where he lost to Rocky Juarez.
"I don’t know if anybody else was even recruiting him when I did. Everybody was after his cousin, Marshall Martinez and the pressure was to put him on," said Dunkin. Luevano’s cousin was a bust of JaMarcus Russell-sized proportions. Beset by troubles with the law, Martinez’s professional career was basically grounded before it ever had a chance to really blossom. "I just always liked Steven Luevano and I thought he had a lot of character- and I was right. Just a decent guy and a hard-working guy. He got a lot of what he did have."
Luevano, in-ring style, was very much like his persona outside the ring. He was a subtle counter-puncher, one who picked and prodded his way to victories in a rather quiet and workmanlike manner. It wasn’t the most exciting manner in which to perform but it was effective on a consistent basis. With his understated, almost shy demeanor, he was never meant to be a headliner or marquee attraction but he was good enough to perform on some major pay-per-view undercards, eventually.
In a sport filled with underachieving individuals with a false sense of entitlement, Luevano was the consummate overachiever. One who got everything out of his God-given tools and grateful to those who helped his career.
"He epitomizes what you call a ’classy individual’ that really comes from humble beginnings but stayed very grounded and he is workman-like. He was a real blue collar-type of fighter that didn’t get taken away or worried about what everyone else was doing, always concentrated on his own business," said DuBoef. "He had to go to England to win the title; he was very patient in his progress towards the title and he was patient in us trying to get him good opportunities on the pay-per-view cards. He’s just a classy kid. He would be a great role model for many athletes in the world, no matter what sport."
Luevano was able to parlay his WBO belt into a nice living.
"He wound up making, actually, really good money there at the end," said Dunkin. "His last, five, six, seven fights were pretty damn good." Luevano was able to consistently make six-figure paydays. But more importantly than making it, he put it away. "Because I know that it doesn’t last forever," said the 1999 graduate of Workman High School. "You can’t be on top of the world forever. And then money goes like toilet paper; just use it and down the drain. So I saved a good amount of money. I bought what I needed, didn’t go overboard. So yeah, I’m good."
Luevano, with his fight earnings, was able to buy a home for his wife and three kids in West Covina, which is just a left-hook away from his La Puente roots. And now, he will pursue a career in law enforcement, as he will look to get into the police academy in October.
"I’ve always wanted to do that since I was about 15, when I was a freshman in high school," said Luevano, who’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of his now-former stablemate, Miguel Garcia.
In a game with so many depressing and heartbreaking endings, Luevano’s is neither. He walks away from boxing with a healthy nest egg, a home and his faculties- and more importantly- a plan for the next stage of his life. And he ended up becoming a pretty good prizefighter too, when it was all said and done.
But when you ask him if he was satisfied with his career, he answers, "Yeah, I’m happy with what I did with my boxing career. I’m very happy with what I did because not everybody becomes a world champion and defends the titles five times. So I was happy. Satisfied? Not really but I was happy. Satisfied? I know I could’ve done a lot more."
But now, he lives his life without boxing.
"It’s fine," he says of his retirement, "I just take it like another day. I’m just not going to be fighting on TV anytime soon."
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