Sunday Convo: Is Diego Pacheco Ready For The Top Names at 168?

On Saturday night in Carson, CA, boxing returned to the Dignity Health Sports Park, known as the “War Grounds.” It’s been a few years since the venue hosted a fight, and although it wasn’t sold out, you can feel the energy throughout the outdoor venue, and fans were excited that boxing was back at the legendary War Grounds. These are hardcore boxing fans who fill the legendary venue, and they know their stuff but also demand exciting fights. Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs), from South Central Los Angeles, CA, knows this; therefore, there was pressure to deliver an entertaining fight. He did precisely that in a savage way, but was it enough to convince those in attendance and watching on DAZN that he is ready for the big names?

The Ghosts of The War Grounds Returned on Saturday Night

The crowd was properly warmed up when the main event came around as the undercards provided action and knockdowns, which are all known to occur at the War Grounds. When both Pacheco and Maciej Sulecki (32-3, 12 KOs) took their robes off, one thing was certain: Pacheco looked like a no-kidding super middleweight who rehydrated to near cruiserweight while Sulecki looked like a small super middleweight that has spent the majority of his career at middleweight (Sulecki only fought three times at 168 throughout his 14-year career). Regardless, the crowd was hyped, and both fighters were ready to perform their best.

In the opening round, the game plan for Sulecki was clear: to break Pacheco down with a body attack and make him fight off his back foot. There were a few early instances when Sulecki landed punches on Pacheco’s chest and ribs and did not react well. To counter this, Pacheco used his reach to keep a steady left jab in Sulecki’s face, followed by an overhand right. As the rounds went by, both fighters would land some huge shots, and it seemed as if the fight would not go the distance, even though Sulecki had never been stopped.

Pacheco landed a combination in the fifth round that hurt Sulecki, but with seconds left, he could not capitalize on his hurt opponent. When the sixth round began, Sulecki had a high guard as he was still hurt from the previous round, and that’s when Pacheco landed a crushing left hook to the body, sending Sulecki down and out. The crowd went wild, and Pacheco put together the type of performance that had fans in the arena buzzing afterward. All felt right again in the arena where so many savage knockouts and fights occurred in years past.

What’s Next For Pacheco, And Is He Ready For The Big Names?

As mentioned in the FightsATW preview piece, fans prior to Saturday night’s demo job still saw Pacheco as a young prospect with a single-digit number of fights, even though he is now a six-year pro with 22 fights under his belt. Last night’s knockout was the type of performance he needed for everyone to erase those prospect thoughts and look at Pacheco as a real contender. Pacheco has officially moved past these fights against the likes of Sulecki and now needs to face some former champions before thinking of someone like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Yes, Pacheco is ranked number one in the WBO, but he needs some world-class experience before thinking of facing Canelo.

Who are those fighters Pacheco should be looking at? The one that makes the most sense, especially in Southern California, is Jaime Munguia. Although that would be a huge fight, it appears Munguia, if victorious on the 20^th, is likely heading towards a collision with Christian Mbilli. A fight with Edgar Berlanga could be an option if Berlanga doesn’t have ridiculous salary requirements for a potential fight against Pacheco. If the promotional politics can be worked out, a fight with Caleb Plant would also be highly desirable. Also, facing the winner of William Skull and Vladimir Shishkin is another option if Matchroom can make it happen. Pacheco has options, but what he can’t do is fight anyone lower than this level of opposition next. It’s time the training wheels are taken off, and he is truly tested.

So, is Pacheco ready for those big names? Saturday’s knockout win helped with that argument a little, but to truly prove that he is, he will have to sign on the dotted line against one of the fighters mentioned above and see if his rise was all an illusion or the beginning of something special.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is the founder of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms to include online, network TV and promotional companies. He is an American Public University alumnus and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, contributed to FanSidedMMA and ProBoxTV.

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