Diego Pacheco throughout a media exercise previous to his battle versus Maciej Sulecki on August 31, 2024 at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California. Photograph Credit score: Melina Pizano/Matchroom.
Diego Pacheco made positive to recollect a very powerful a part of battle week in his hometown this time round.
“Yeah, I undoubtedly needed to self-discipline myself to display screen calls, not reply each name,” Pacheco instructed The Ring, with a chuckle. “I admire all of the love and assist. However that is the time while you simply need to lock in, and keep targeted.”
The unbeaten 23-year-old from Los Angeles’s South Central area is about for his second native headliner in 9 months. Pacheco (21-0, 17 knockouts) faces Poland’s Maciej Sulecki in a scheduled 12-round tremendous middleweight bout. DAZN will air their predominant occasion this Saturday from Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California.
The chance is 2 fights faraway from Pacheco’s earlier affair in entrance of his adoring followers, additionally versus a former title challenger. A ninth-round stoppage over Argentina’s Marcelo Coceres got here with its fascinating moments within the ring, and distractions main as much as battle night time.
“It’s been a studying expertise by way of the years,” admitted Pacheco. “But it surely’s all love and I cherish these alternatives.”
Each alternative is essential while you’re the fighter groomed because the division’s second coming.
The battle versus Sulecki (32-2, 12 KOs) is the most recent step in the direction of preventing for his first main title.
Pacheco is at the moment ranked as The Ring’s No. 4 tremendous middleweight. From an alphabet belt standpoint, he’s the WBO’s No. 1 contender and No. 4 with each the WBC and IBF.
The roads to these titles lead in two instructions for the second. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) holds The RING championship and WBC, WBA and WBO belts. William Scull (22-0, 9 KOs) and Vladimir Shishkin (18-0, 12 KOs) are resulting from meet for the vacant IBF title this fall.
Alvarez was the undisputed champ earlier than he relinquished the IBF belt in refusal to face Scull as his obligatory challenger. Nicely earlier than that, there was a backlog of challengers awaiting their shot on the sport’s money cow.
Amongst them was David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs), Pacheco’s longtime coaching stablemate and a former two-time WBC titlist. Benavidez clearly established himself because the division’s true No. 1 contender however got here up empty in his dogged pursuit of Alvarez. The unbeaten boxer now campaigns at gentle heavyweight, the place he awaits a shot on the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol winner.
Pacheco already has a tough time touchdown all of the names he needs to face on the best way up the ranks. He’s conscious of a possible related destiny as Benavidez if Alvarez nonetheless guidelines the land as soon as he’s in place to vie for the highest spot.
That’s what makes moments like this so essential. Moderately than fear about what another person gained’t do, the main target is on what he can obtain. Constructing your native fan base and turning into the category of your weight division are key—and attainable—targets.
“Some issues are simply out of your management,” acknowledged Pacheco. “I can’t fear about that day coming for me. All I can do is simply hope I’ve accomplished every part in my energy to ensure it occurs for me when my day comes. If not, then I’ll simply concentrate on who it will likely be in opposition to. Not who I gained’t face.”
For now, the first goal is to present his adoring native followers purpose to cheer.
This time round, the fitting fighter is in entrance of him. It wasn’t the case in his first look of 2024—a ten-round win over Shawn McCalman (15-1, 10 KOs). Their April 6 DAZN headliner between unbeaten boxers noticed one come to win and the opposite content material to go rounds.
“Sulecki is the proper fashion for me,” insisted Pacheco. “He’s gonna be operating into a variety of photographs.
“He’s gonna come to battle, come to win. Sadly for him, he’s gonna run into Diego Pacheco.”
Sulecki’s solely two defeats have come on the high stage and in his opponent’s hometown. He dropped a aggressive and entertaining twelve-round determination to Daniel Jacobs of their April 2018 WBA title eliminator. His lone title bid was significantly much less aggressive as he was shut out by then-unbeaten WBO middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade 14 months later in Windfall, Rhode Island.
4 wins have since adopted for the 35-year-old contender who as soon as once more hits the highway.
Saturday will mark Pacheco’s fifth profession battle within the larger L.A. area. It’s his second on the venue famously dubbed as ‘The Warfare Grounds’ in boxing circles.
Fittingly, his earlier look got here on the undercard of a fighter who could be very a lot a future goal—Jaime Munguia.
Such a matchup in 2025 could possibly be one to usher in a brand new period within the tremendous middleweight division. Each must win their subsequent fights. Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) faces Erik Bazinyan (32-0-1, 23 KOs) on Sept. 20 at Desert Diamond Enviornment in Glendale, Arizona.
By then, Pacheco hopes to haven’t solely gained by then however set up himself as a giant attract a sizzling market.
“I fought on the Warfare Grounds on a Munguia undercard (Sept. 2019) once I was 18 years previous,” recalled Pacheco. “I opened up the principle DAZN card. It was a superb feeling. I fought at house, preventing on DAZN and received a third-round TKO.
“Now to return, headline and put younger fighters from my metropolis on the undercard is wonderful. I simply can’t wait to placed on a present and provides the individuals a efficiency they bear in mind.”
