posted June 26, 2008 at 18:58 EST in Other Articles

BetUS Sportsbook boxing betting fans who consider themselves purists when it comes to the sweet science might be very interested in the main undercard bout on this weekend's Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz show at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. That's because WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano, who is known to be one of the more scientific fighters in the ring today, defends his crown against Manny Santiago of Puerto Rico, in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds between southpaws.

BetUS boxing betting odds:

WBO Featherweight (126-pound) title

June 28 -- Las Vegas

STEVEN LUEVANO -500

MARIO SANTIAGO +350

Under 11.5 Rounds -338

Over 11.5 Rounds +223

For betting purposes, let's size up the contestants:

LUEVANO (35-1, 15 KO's), the -500 favorite in the BetUS boxing betting odds, is one of those guys with a solid amateur backgrounds who rally paid his dues fighting in near-obscurity for much of his career. He turned pro in June of 2000 and slowly and surely climbed the ladder, winning 28 straight fights before getting a chance to fight for so much as a WBC Continental Americas title. The fight that probably earned him his first world title opportunity was a decision over Cristobal Cruz in June of 2006. And when Luevano finally fought for the crown, he took advantage of it, knocking down Nicky Cook four times - three of those times with body shots - in an eleventh-round KO to capture the WBO belt at 126 pounds. He's made two title defenses, winning decisions against Antonio Davis and Terdsak Jandseng (that was the last one, on March 15). The only loss on his record was a ten-round decision to veteran Martin Honorio in November 2005. Despite those knockdowns of Cook, Luevano is not known as a puncher; in fact that Cook fight is the only one in his last eight that has ended inside the distance.

SANTIAGO (19-1, 14 KO's), the +350 underdog at BetUS, got an early start in boxing at a high level, performing with the Puerto Rican "national" team at the age of 16. He went to the Pan Am Games in 1999 and took home a bronze medal. But he lost in the 2000 Olympic Trials. Santiago turned pro in April of 2001 under the tutelage of Felix Trinidad Sr. and won his first four fights, then he had a period of inactivity as he shuffled around from one promoter to another. Won the title of the WBC's Caribbean Boxing Federation, which carried not much weight, but one of those fights was a ninth-round TKO of Daniel Attah, which is by far his best pro win. Santiago suffered a defeat in July of last year when he was beaten on a technical decision by Hector Velasquez, and last fought on February 1 with a first-round KO of Edel Ruiz.

If you were wondering how, having lost to Velasquez so recently, Santiago was able to get a title fight, the answer might lie in the fact that he is handled by Evangeline Cotto, who s the uncle and trainer for Miguel Angel Cotto, the WBO's welterweight champion, so it is likely that he had some very good politics on his side. Santiago has just not fought a roster of opponents that has stretched his boundaries as a fighter.

An inexperienced fighter can find himself particularly vulnerable against someone like Luevano, who, some think, may have the most educated left jab in the business. In bouts at the main event level, Luevano has actually gone through entire rounds throwing nothing but the right jab. He has also been ten rounds or more on eleven different occasions, while Santiago's only time going ten rounds was his loss to Velasquez.

This is a case where Luevano is just too polished and too experienced for his carefully-steered opponent. Of course, while we take note of Luevano's display of power against Cook, we don't trust that he is going out there looking for the knockout. But we don't trust Santiago to go the distance either, if severely outclassed. One thing we are relatively sure of is that Luevano has all the fundamental advantages here, and that he has too much class for Santiago. That pushes us toward the -500 on him to win, rather than a sizable price on this bout going the distance. So that is what we will do in the BetUS boxing betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: LUEVANO TO WIN (-500) ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

Betting on boxing has never been so easy and you can get your bets in now in the BetUS sportsbook. Go to Other Sports: Boxing. Find tons of props on the fight and the fighters in the Future / props section as well!

(Charles Jay of www.ebookies.com is a former manager, matchmaker and color commentator in professional boxing. He currently pulls no punches in the BetUS Locker Room)