LAS VEGAS – The family drama that has left Keenan Carbajal estranged from his legendary great uncle hasn’t weighed on the veteran featherweight’s mind at all this week.

Though they share a surname well known among boxing fans, they both admit Michael Carbajal hasn’t had any impact on his nephew’s development inside or outside the ring. It doesn’t matter, either, according to Keenan Carbajal, that the former light flyweight champion and International Boxing Hall-of-Famer is openly rooting for Leo Santa Cruz to beat him on the Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios undercard Saturday night at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

“Michael’s completely irrelevant,” Keenan Carbajal said during a press conference Thursday at Michelob ULTRA Arena. “It’s new to you guys. He’s had nothing to do with my career. So, I got here just off of my talent and the familia behind me. He had nothing to do [with it]. So, whether he’s going for Leo or not, it don’t make no difference to me. He’s had zero influence on my career.”

The family beef between Michael Carbajal and his brother, Danny, and Michael’s niece, Josephine, is so intense that Michael Carbajal sent out a press release last month to emphasize his disdain for Josephine, who is Keenan’s mother, and Danny, Josephine’s father, Keenan’s head trainer and Michael’s former trainer/manager.

“The animosity between Michael Carbajal and the Keenan-Danny-Josephine Carbajal faction absolutely cannot be understated,” Michael Carbajal said in a statement released to BoxingScene.com and other outlets. “There is no merit to any claim that Michael has any involvement, association or affiliation with Keenan, his fight career or any part of his life. Further, Michael is not involved with Keenan’s trainer, Danny Carbajal, or Keenan’s mother, Josephine, in any way, shape or form. Michael Carbajal has never had and will never have any association with Keenan or any member of his team known as “Familia Carbajal,” which misrepresented and violated the actual Carbajal family.”

According to an article posted to Phoenix New Times’ website in February 2008, Danny Carbajal pled guilty to three felony counts of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from investment accounts and properties from Danny’s late ex-wife, Sally. The story stated Phoenix police also investigated Danny for stealing money from Michael and their mother, Mary.   

Santa Cruz (37-2-1, 19 KOs), a four-division champion from Rosemead, California, is listed by Caesars Sportsbook as an 8-1 favorite to beat Phoenix’s Carbajal (23-2-1, 15 KOs). The 33-year-old Santa Cruz will fight for the first time since Gervonta Davis viciously knocked him out with a left uppercut in the sixth round of their lightweight and junior lightweight title fight in October 2020 at Alamodome in San Antonio.

Keenan Carbajal, 30, has won 18 fights in a row since he dropped a six-round unanimous decision to Tucson’s Jair Quintero (then 3-3-3) almost seven years ago in Glendale, California. Santa Cruz will be, far and away, the most accomplished, formidable opponent of Carbajal’s eight-year pro career.

The unproven Carbajal realizes, however, that upsetting an opponent with Santa Cruz’s resume would completely change his career.

“Man, you know, every warrior gears toward that moment to be great, to be remembered, to be legendary,” Keenan Carbajal said. “And this is it, this is mine. This is my opportunity to show the world who I am.”

The 10-round, 130-pound bout between Santa Cruz and Carbajal will be the co-feature that’ll immediately precede the main event. Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs, 1 NC), of Clearwater, Florida, and San Antonio’s Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) will headline a four-fight FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT ($74.95).

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.