Paulie Malignaggi believes Diego Pacheco’s undefeated performance at 168-lb against Maciej Sulecki on Saturday night could put him in a position to challenge Canelo Alvarez for the next of his three super middleweight fights.
(Credit: Matchroom Boxing: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
Pacheco’s performance is key
Malignaggi says it may be clear how Pacheco (21-0, 17 KOs) faces the veteran Sulecki (32-2, 12 KOs) in their fight. If Pacheco, 23, looks in danger of winning, it would help him to be chosen by Canelo because he believes that the Mexican star is looking for things that are not only threats. If Pacheco looks too good, he won’t be taken by Canelo.
Matchroom-promoted Pacheco will face Sulecki, 35, in a 12-round final on August 31 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Los Angeles. The event will air live on DAZN beginning at 7:30 pm ET.
Malignaggi feels that Canelo may want to fight Pacheco before he improves. In other words, he was going to fight him before he was as good as Floyd Mayweather Jr. which he cherry picked in 2013 when Canelo was only 22 years old and not the fighter he developed into. That version of Canelo may have completely destroyed Mayweather.
“Pacheco, in his last fight, did not impress me. He had a little boy [6’0″ Shawn McCalman] where, he’s an athlete who was able to jump on him,” said boxing expert Tim Bradley on YouTube channel Probox TV, talking about whether Diego Pacheco could be a threat to unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
He got off to a slow start in Pacheco’s last fight against McCalman, but once he found his style, he dominated the second half. McCalman’s hand speed and penetration gave Pacheco problems early. Pacheco looked good in the fight, firing good four-pound combinations with power and controlling the fight.
“His feet seemed to move slowly. He seemed to be completely out of the game,” continued Bradley about the 23-year-old Pacheco. “I was thinking, ‘He’s not ready yet.’ So, saying his name with Canelo, is not. Canelo was running at him. He [Pacheco] it could be 175 in two or three years. He is 23 years old. He will probably move up the weight class.”
Pacheco was slow compared to McCalman, but his hand speed was actually quite good. McCalman had quick hands and incredibly good strength. McCalman will give trouble to many battles in the division, including Christian Mbilli and Caleb Plant.
“In a few years, Pacheco will be dangerous, but if he is there [Canelo] he’s fighting him now, that Canelo fight all day,” said Chris Algieri.
Canelo’s Favorite Non-Bracelet
“Pacheco is a terrorist in 168. He’s a big 168, like David Benavidez. He probably has all the tools a guy like Canelo doesn’t want to see him look the way he has,” said Paulie Malignaggi. “I think it will come down to how he dealt with Sulecki. I think that will go a long way in whether or not he is considered,” said Malignaggi about whether Pacheco will be selected for Canelo’s next team.
Pacheco is now a threat to anyone in the super middleweight division because of his size, power, and boxing combinations. I was picking him to beat Caleb Plant, and he might beat Mbilli.
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