Unbeaten super featherweight Jason Litzau has never been one to let people’s negative opinions hold him back.

While he was growing up, Jason and his older brother Allen, who is also a boxer, had to run the streets to avoid an abusive family. Members of his family often told him that he would never graduate or amount to anything. Litzau took it all as a personal challenge and went on to graduate on time from Harding High School in St. Paul’s East Side.

The now 22-year-old Litzau, who has built a record of 14-0, with 14 knockouts, still deals with people underestimating him. It seems like people can’t look past his skin color and where he is from, according to his trainer/manager Bob Van Syckle.

“Without a doubt, there’s a stigma. Not only because he is a white kid, but he’s a kid from Minnesota,”said Van Syckle. “From the East coast to the West coast, Minnesota guys have a bad reputation.”

But like many things in his life, Litzau listens only enough to know what people say he can’t do, so he can prove them wrong. “He loves the challenge. He loves it when it people tell him that he can’t do this or that,” said Van Syckle.

Tonight at the Pechanga Resort in Temecula, California, Litzau will be taking on possibly his toughest challenge when he takes on John Nolasco (15-3, 6 KO's) in the main event on ESPN2.

“(Nolasco) is definitely the best guy he’s ever fought. He hasn’t lost in three years. Even the guys he’s lost to were excellent fighters,” said Van Syckle. “(Nolasco)’s tough to hit. He’s a puzzle that Jason will have to solve.”

While Van Syckle feels his fighter is up to the challenge, he also realizes that Litzau might be feeling the pressure of fighting his first 10-rounder in a main event on national television.

“He’s ready, but there is a lot of pressure. The most he’s gone is five rounds and now all of a sudden he’s going 10 rounds. Until you’ve done it, every fighter has that little doubt in his head,” Van Syckle said. “It’s a big opportunity to be the main event on ESPN2. Not only does he have to win, but in his mind, he has to look good while he wins.”

Van Syckle may have concerns, but he believes Litzau has the power, speed, defense, natural instincts, charisma and work ethic to be a great fighter.

“I haven’t seen any indication that he can’t go all the way to the top. I honestly believe that he can beat the Manny Pacquaio’s, Erik Morales’s, and the Marco Antonio Barrera’s,” Van Syckle said. “Not today, because he doesn’t have the experience. He only lacks experience. He’s got to get more rounds. I believe he’s going to have a mega-fight someday.”

No matter what he accomplishes in boxing, Litzau, like all fighters, may always have his naysayers. But Van Syckle is noticing that more people are seeing what he sees in his young fighter.

“I think people who know boxing are starting to come around and believe,” said Van Syckle. “If he looks great in this fight, then forget about it, there is nothing that’s going to stop him.”

-----ESPN2 begins its telecast at 9 PM EST, 8 PM CST-----

-----The last few months have been good for the two brothers, who are also known as the “American Boys.” Allen, who has a record of 8-1, 4 knockouts, recently won the Minnesota State Featherweight title. For more information on the “American Boys” and what they’ve overcome. Go to www.theamericanboys.com.