Diego Pacheco Needs More Fights Before Canelo Showdown

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports
By Muhammad Hashir | Last updated Sep 4, 2024 6:10 AM ET

Promoter Eddie Hearn wants Diego Pacheco to get more experience before the 23-year-old goes after Canelo’s unified super middleweight titles, which could happen in 2025. And he has proved himself a worthy contender in the ring.

The only noteworthy event occurred on August 31st, when Diego Pacheco knocked out an awkward journeyman, Maciej Sulecki, in the sixth round in Carson, California. Nevertheless, this win takes into consideration the fact that the fighter that he defeated was not so fierce at the age of 35 years.

The fight didn’t provide the boxer with the level of competition needed to prepare for opponents like Canelo. The win did create some public relations but did not receive much popularity to improve his position in the super middleweight category.

Diego Pacheco’s Limited Options For Meaningful Fights

Eddi Hearn is more eager to get demanding opponents to develop Diego Pacheco further. His future opponents can be Jaime Munguia and Christian Mbilli. But getting these fights may be a tricky act. Mbilli is a current WBC #1 contender at junior middleweight with a 28-0, 23 KO record. It is highly doubtful that his promoters will allow him to face a prospect like this for any reason other than a substantial financial reward.

There is also Jaime Munguia, who was Canelo Alvarez’s opponent in May and lost his first fight. However, it appears that Munguia’s new promoters from Top Rank are keen on reshaping his career. They may be reluctant to arrange a fight between him and Diego Pacheco to get a return fight against Canelo.

Challenges And Opportunities

Since the division started changing, super middleweight contenders such as David Morrell and David Benavidez have shifted up from the weight class. Diego Pacheco is coming into his own as the new prospect of the division. Nevertheless, analysts like Chris Algieri think that despite his ability, Diego Pacheco may not do well against the best of the division, including Mbilli, Munguia, and former champions like Caleb Plant.

Despite his evident talent and skills, it will be challenging for Pacheco to capture the coveted world title while these top fighters remain active in the division. In the light heavyweight division, he may have choice shots once the division’s current champions, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, decide to call it a career. For now, however, he is too green and inexperienced at 168 pounds to be fighting rivals of the caliber of Canelo Alvarez.

Why Experience Is Considered Important

Eddie Hearn has said that there is still room for improvement in Diego Pacheco to prepare for a fight against Canelo, and he may require two or three more battles. And even if he was able to beat Sulecki and make quite a statement in the process, it is obvious that more experience is needed. Hearn is careful when putting him in the box with other opponents like Osleys Iglesias because he knows that he may be knocked out, and this may be the end of his dream of fighting Canelo. He does not aim at making fights with weak fighters but rather looks for challenging competitors who will not be dangerous to his career.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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