Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) announced that he is ready to face Canelo Alvarez following his sixth round victory over Maciej Sulecki (32-3, 12 KOs) on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
(Credit: Michael Owens/The Playroom)
Fans and Pundits React
Fans on social media said Pacheco was “not ready” to face Canelo after watching the veteran Sulecki’s performance on Saturday night. The tall, stork-like 6’4″ Pacheco was hit hard in every round, including the sixth.
He can’t defend himself and continues his anger and the low level of opposition he has been facing. Believe it or not, Sulecki was a step up from Pacheco, and nowhere near the level of the likes of Canelo, Jaime Munguia, Christian Mbilli, or the two talents who recently left the 168-lb division, David Benavidez and David Morrell.
Pacheco is the unified super middleweight champion of Canelo’s #1 WBO challenger, and if the judging panel orders the next fight, Diego, 23, says he will win it. First, Canelo needs to defend against his WBA titleholder Edgar Berlanga on September 14 in Las Vegas.
Hearn’s Enthusiasm Meets Skepticism
Hear Munguia’s Eyes as a Temporary Opponent
Pacheco’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said tonight that he would like Diego to face Jaime Munguia.
“The body shot, that’s what he wrote,” said Diego Pacheco speaking to DAZN Boxing, talking about his knockout win over Maciej Sulecki on Saturday night. “When I saw him fall, I saw that he didn’t get up.
Sulecki was ready to go past the fifth round after Pacheco’s right hand was injured. At the start of the sixth, Pacheco went for a finish and quickly landed Sulecki with a left to the body that sent him down. Sulecki rolled on his side after landing with his body shot, and tried to get up again.
“I could tell he was feeling my punches,” Pacheco said of Sulecki. “I could see that he was slowing down from the fourth or fifth round. Definitely. I don’t back down from any challenge,” said Pacheco when asked if he would be ready to fight the United super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez if the judging body calls him WBO mandatory. “Let’s open it.
“Eddie Hearn is here. “Maybe he can tell you when I will get that gun,” said Pacheco.
Canelo will likely jump at the chance to fight Pacheco after defending against Edgar Berlanga next month. If the World Boxing Organization orders the Canelo-Pacheco fight, Canelo will not agree because he is an easy mark.
Hearn’s Enthusiasm Meets Skepticism
“It’s coming of age from a superstar in the making,” promoter Eddie Hearn said of Pacheco. “He is 23 years old. Los Angeles is behind him. He is #1 in the world. The world title is coming, and it will come very soon.”
Hearn gets a little carried away by talking about Pacheco’s “performance for the ages. To fit that category, Pacheco will need to hit one of these talents:
- Osleys Iglesias
- Christian Mbili
- Jaime Munguia
- Caleb Plant
I don’t see Pacheco beating Plant out of those four, and even that’s not a sure thing. If Plant catches Pacheco with one of his left slap hooks, he might knock him out.
“If not Canelo, who would you like to see Pacheco with?” said DAZN analyst Chris Mannix.
“You are talking about a big opportunity. “When Canelo Alvarez or Edgar Berlanga, Diego Pacheco are shot, it will be a big fight for these guys,” said Hearn. “He will be a must for the winner of Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga.”
Munguia can fight Pacheco if he pays, but if he has Top Rank, that may not happen. It would be better if he works his way back into a rematch with Canelo.
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