Promoter Eddie Hearn wants Jaime Munguia next for the #1 WBO-ranked Diego Pacheco following his sixth-round one-punch body shot knockout of the grizzled old veteran Maciej Sulecki last Saturday night at the Dignity Health Park, Carson, California.
A Bridging Fight or a Business Move?
Hearn boasts that the 23-year-old Pacheco’s victory locks him in for a guaranteed title shot against WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. However, the Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn wants Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) to face the recently beaten Jaime Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) in a bridging fight.
Hearn’s idea is more about business because he feels a clash between Munguia and Pacheco would sell out the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles. It would increase Pacheco’s popularity, beating the well-known Munguia.
It’s doubtful that Munguia’s promoters at Top Rank will agree to match him against Pacheco, given that he’s coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Canelo on May 4th. Putting him in a tough fight so soon wouldn’t make sense.
If Hearn wants to bridge the 6’4″ Pacheco in a fight that has a realistic chance of happening, he should match him against the talented, unbeaten Osleys Iglesias. That’s a fight where Pacheco would need to prove that he’s for real and not a fake, manufactured fighter that some believe him to be.
The Cuban Iglesias (12-0, 11 KOs) is ranked #5 WBC and looks dangerous. As an amateur in Cuba, Iglesias reportedly beat David Morrell, which shows you what kind of talent he has.
Hearn’s Focus on Marketability
“I think it sells out that arena without a doubt,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to the media, talking about a fight between Diego Pacheco and Jaime Munguia potentially selling out the 21,000-seat Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.
Hearn needs to come down from the clouds and get real about who he can actually get for Pacheco next. Unless His Excellency Turki Alalshikh can step in and offer big money for Munguia to fight Pacheco, that match has little chance of happening.
“Jaime Munguia has left Golden Boy and is now with Top Rank,” said Hearn. “So, maybe that’s a fight that can get made. We’re in a great position because we’ve got our world title shot [against Canelo Alvarez]. It’s locked in.”
The Future King of 168 is coming! https://t.co/k6vIyhBIMt
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) September 1, 2024
Hearn needs to focus on the fighters he can get for Pacheco. The Eye of the Tiger promotion has little reason to let Pacheco fight #1 WBC-ranked Christian Mbilli because he’s on the doorstep for a world title shot against Canelo and doesn’t need to take a risky fight against an up-and-comer.
Eye of the Tiger would likely be more receptive to a match against Pacheco is Osleys Iglesias, who they also promote. If Hearn is genuinely motivated to give Pacheco a bridging fight to prepare him for Canelo, he should contact Osleys Iglesias’ promoters so they can set up a clash. They could stage the fight at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, and it would sell.
“We’ll see what happens with Edgar Berlanga. I believe he’s going to give a great fight on September 14th,” said Hearn. “If he wins, fantastic. If he doesn’t, he’s going to be a massive name. Munguia, Mbilli is a great fight [for Pacheco]. Bazinyan, who we were trying to get for tonight actually.”
Erik Bazanyin wouldn’t be a bridging fight for Pacheco. That would be more of a lateral move from his fight against Sulecki last night. Bazinyan is a 10-year pro with a record that is filled with fluff, and he’s looked terrible recently. I would pick Sulecki to defeat the 29-year-old Bazinyan by knockout.
If this is more about ensuring Pacheco isn’t beaten before a cash-out fight against Canelo, Bazinyan is perfect because Diego will have no problems beating him. But Hearn needs to stop with the bridging nonsense he’s chirping about because those are just words.
Putting Pacheco in with Bazinyan is more about protecting him as he did with Berlanga by matching him against Jason Quigley and Padraig McCrory rather than David Morrell, who wanted to fight him.
“We no longer have to chase a shot at a world title,” said Hearn about Pacheco being the #1 WBO contender for Canelo’s belt with that organization. “We’ve got it. It’s just when it comes. So what we do in between that moment is really important. It’s more for his development to make sure he’s ready. When he does a name, it’s going to do big numbers.”
Protecting Pacheco or Preparing Him?
Again, if Hearn wants to develop Pacheco, he needs to stop protecting him and throw him in with Osleys Iglesias to see if he’s ready for Canelo. I don’t think Pacheco is near ready because he looked awful in every sense of the word against Sulecki. Iglesias would destroy the version of Pacheco we saw last night.
“I just feel that Jaime Munguia against Diego sells out the Crypto, and I think it’s a brilliant fight as well. It’s a tough fight, but I think style-wise, what a great fight, those two,” said Hearn.
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