Before you say it, don’t.

We’re well aware that Jose Valenzuela is not Shakur Stevenson.

He’s won eight fewer fights. He’s been beaten twice. And chances are he’ll never be a champion.

But it wasn’t that long ago that people were pretty high on him.

Just 14 months ago, in fact, he was an unbeaten PBC prospect entering a scheduled 10-rounder in Los Angeles with a short-notice longshot named Edwin De Los Santos.

No one was suggesting, at least not out loud anyway, that the unheralded Dominican import had any real chance at success – in spite of going in with a gaudy 14-1 record with 13 KOs.

That’s primarily because he’d suffered that lone loss only eight months earlier when he was bamboozled over 10 rounds by then-unbeaten William Foster III on the way to dropping a split decision.

Didn’t matter.

Lest anyone forget, De Los Santos dropped Valenzuela twice and battered him to a point where referee Ray Corona had seen enough to end it after just 1:07 of the third round.

And in reality, it wasn’t that close.

Nevertheless, given his largely anonymous history before the Valenzuela fight and only one fight since -- a scorecard rout of Joseph Adorno four months ago in Atlantic City – it seems to be happening again.

No one beyond the De Los Santos family and a few problem gamblers would have you believe the 24-year-old contender – ranked sixth by the WBC – has even a puncher’s chance when it comes to Thursday’s main event in Las Vegas, where he’ll fight for the Mexican cartel’s lightweight title belt. 

That’s probably because of his opponent.

In this case, it’s Shakur Stevenson.

Yes … that Shakur Stevenson.

The one who earned a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. The one who was a featherweight champion in his 13th pro fight. And the one who added a second title at 130 pounds just four fights and two years later.

These days, he’s a lightweight and not surprisingly has been installed as the WBC’s No. 1 contender, which put him in prime position to capture a vacant title when Devin Haney was demoted to “champion in recess” after deciding to climb to 140 to challenge Regis Prograis, who’s the WBC’s man up there.

Not surprisingly, DraftKings has made him a minus-1200 pick to beat De Los Santos, meaning it’ll take a $1,200 outlay to rake in a $100 profit in the event of a Stevenson win. Meanwhile, as a plus-600 underdog, a $100 flyer on the lesser-regarded contender would generate a $600 windfall.

De Los Santos, for one, claims the latter investment will be money well spent.

“This is the most difficult and important challenge of my career,” he said. 

“Winning this fight will change my life forever. I know Shakur is a great champion, and I understand I will need my entire arsenal to defeat him. It is a huge challenge, but not impossible. I am extremely focused on being crowned world champion and giving a world title to the Dominican Republic. 

“A victory over Shakur would go down as one of the greatest in the history of Dominican boxing. That motivates me much more."

Though he stands eye to eye with Stevenson at 5-foot-8, De Los Santos is slightly longer when it comes to reach at 70 inches to 68. He and Stevenson are both left-handers, and his KO rate – albeit against admittedly far less accomplished competition – is far superior at 87.5 percent to 50.

Toward that end, he’s stopped 13 opponents who weighed in at lightweight or beyond, compared to only one for Stevenson, who’d never encountered a foe above 130 pounds until last fall.

Misplaced or not, the underdog is certainly projecting an air of confidence.

It’s the same self-assuredness he carried into the ring against Valenzuela at Crypto.com Arena, where his win, upset or not, was far more the product of comprehensive domination than one-punch flukiness.

“They call him the boogeyman,” De Los Santos said. “The real boogeyman of the division is me.”

Still not buying it?

Don’t feel bad. You’re not alone.

Neither is Randy Gordon.

“Shakur will take a few rounds, figure him out, then school him,” the SiriusXM host told Boxing Scene. “I think Shakur is getting better with each passing day. 

“He is a gym rat who understands what his mission in life is.”

* * * * * * * * * *      

This week’s title-fight schedule:     

THURSDAY 

Vacant WBC lightweight title – Las Vegas, Nevada 

Shakur Stevenson (No. 1 WBC/No. 6 Ring) vs. Edwin De Los Santos (No. 6 WBC/Unranked Ring) 

Stevenson (20-0, 10 KO): Fifth title fight (4-0); Eighth fight in Nevada (7-0, 2 KO) 

De Los Santos (16-1, 14 KO): First title fight; Fifth fight in the United States (3-1, 2 KO) 

Fitzbitz says: De Los Santos is longer and presumably stronger, given his KO rate. But his opposition has been dubious, and he seems a good candidate for a premium cable clinic. Stevenson by decision (99/1) 

WBO junior lightweight title – Las Vegas, Nevada 

Emanuel Navarrete (champion/No. 1 Ring) vs. Robson Conceicao (No. 11 WBO/No. 7 Ring) 

Navarrete (38-1, 31 KO): Second title defense; Unbeaten in 11 fights in the United States (11-0, 7 KO) 

Conceicao (17-2, 8 KO): Third title fight (0-2); Unbeaten against foes with at least one loss (15-0, 8 KO)

Fitzbitz says: Conceicao has lost to two Top Rank guys at 130 and it seems a good opportunity for Navarrete to make it three and build the resume for bouts with fellow champs. Navarrete in 7 (99/1)

Last week's picks: None

2023 picks record: 40-13 (75.5 percent)       

Overall picks record: 1,291-421 (75.4 percent)      

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.      

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.