Promoter Eddie Hearn wants Jaime Munguia next to take on #1 WBO Diego Pacheco following his sixth round knockout of veteran veteran Maciej Sulecki last Saturday night at Dignity Health Park, Carson, California.
Bridging Fight or Business Move?
Hearn boasted that the victory over Pacheco, 23, prevented him from winning a guaranteed title shot against WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. However, Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn wants Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) to face the recently beaten Jaime Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) in a bridge fight.
Hearn’s opinion is about business because he feels that a fight between Munguia and Pacheco will sell out the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles. It could boost Pacheco’s popularity, beating the popular Munguia.
There’s no doubt that Munguia’s promoters at Top Rank would be willing to match him with Pacheco, as he’s coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Canelo on May 4. Putting him in a tough fight so soon wouldn’t make sense.
If Hearn wants to close the gap on the 6’4″ Pacheco in a fight that has a real chance of happening, he has to take him with the talented, undefeated. Osleys Iglesias. That’s a fight where Pacheco will need to prove that he’s the real deal and not the bogus, fabricated con that others believe him to be.
Cuban Iglesias (12-0, 11 KOs) is ranked #5 in the WBC and looks dangerous. As a student in Cuba, Iglesias reportedly beat David Morrell, which shows what kind of talent he has.
Hearn Focus on Marketing
“I think it sells out that arena without a doubt,” promoter Eddie Hearn told the media, referring to the fight between Diego Pacheco and Jaime Munguia that could sell out the 21,000-seat Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.
Hearn needs to come down from the clouds and be realistic about who can get Pacheco next. Unless His Excellency Turki Alalshikh steps in and offers Munguia a large sum of money to fight Pacheco, that match has little chance of happening.
“Jaime Munguia has left Golden Boy and is now in Top Rank,” said Hearn. “So, maybe that’s a fight that can be done. We are in a very good position because we have won the world title [against Canelo Alvarez]. It is locked.”
Future King 168 is coming!
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) September 1, 2024
Hearn needs to focus on players who can get Pacheco. The Eye of the Tiger promotion has little reason to let Pacheco fight #1 ranked WBC Christian Mbilli because he is on the verge of a world title shot against Canelo and doesn’t need to fight a newcomer.
Eye of the Tiger may have better received a match against Pacheco by Osleys Iglesias, who also promotes him. If Hearn is really willing to give Pacheco a bridge fight to prepare him for Canelo, he should contact Osleys Iglesias’ promoters to start a fight. They can do a fight at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, and it will sell out.
“We will see what happens with Edgar Berlanga. “I believe he will face a tough fight on September 14,” said Hearn. “If he wins, it’s great. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a big name. Munguia, Mbilli is a big fight [for Pacheco]. Bazinyan, whom we were trying to find tonight.
Erik Bazanyin was not going to be a close fight for Pacheco. That would be a side move from his fight with Sulecki last night. Bazinyan is a 10-year pro with a record full of fluff, and he’s looked awful lately. I would pick Sulecki to defeat the 29-year-old Bazinyan by knockout.
If this is about making sure Pacheco doesn’t get knocked out before the cash-out fight with Canelo, Bazinyan is perfect because Diego will have no problems beating him. But Hearn needs to stop talking nonsense because those are just words.
Putting Pacheco and Bazinyan in is about protecting him like he did for Berlanga by matching him with Jason Quigley and Padraig McCrory rather than David Morrell who wanted to fight him.
“We don’t have to rush to get the world title,” said Hearn about Pacheco claiming Canelo’s WBO belt in that organization. “We found it. It just comes. So what we do within that moment is very important. It’s more about his development to make sure he’s ready. If he makes a name for himself, it will do big numbers.”
Protecting Pacheco or Preparing for Him?
Also, if Hearn wants to improve Pacheco, he needs to stop protecting him and throw him in with Osleys Iglesias to see if he’s good for Canelo. I don’t think Pacheco is going to be good because he looked awful in every sense of the word against Sulecki. Iglesias will destroy the version of Pacheco we saw last night.
“I feel that Jaime Munguia against Diego sells Crypto, and I think it’s a smart fight as well. It’s a tough fight, but I think it’s style-wise, what a great fight, those two,” said Hearn.
