Diego Pacheco fighting for late brother’s legacy, and the chance to create his own

Diego Pacheco is just 23 years old, yet he’s already alluding that his evolution from prospect to world contender is complete.

Pacheco (21-0, 17 KOs) will get another crack at proving why he says he’s special when he takes on Maciej Sulecki (32-2, 12 KOs) at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on Saturday. The super middleweight fight scheduled for 12 rounds will headline a Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN. 

Pacheco’s year so far has been filled with ups and downs. 

He became a father in February to daughter Divine, outlasted a gritty Shawn McCalman for a decision win on April 6, and endured the pain of losing his older brother Manuel on April 21.

Manuel was born with 3p deletion syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes chromosomal changes. On April 21, a week before what would have been his 28th birthday, Manuel passed away in his sleep due to the condition.

“I was close to my brother, and it’s never easy when you lose someone close to you,” Pacheco told BoxingScene. “The feeling is hard to describe and you have no words for it, you can just pray for better days. I have mixed emotions, but there is motivation and hunger to make him proud and fulfill all of my dreams for him.”

Pacheco comes from a fighting family. Diego’s younger brother Federico Pacheco Jr. is also an undefeated fighter, and the up-and-coming heavyweight has seven wins with five knockouts two years in as a pro. 

The brothers want to continue the legacy of Manuel while creating their own in the sport. 

“I want to show the world that I am on my way to becoming a great. I’m ready,” said Diego. “If it was up to me I’d be fighting a top five guy right now. I can’t snap my fingers and make these fights happen though. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. The time will come for me to get the fights. I’ve been trying to make them but they don’t happen. In due time, they will happen.”

Though he’s yet to fight a top five guy, he finds himself in the top five in three of the four sanctioning body rankings. Pachecho is still learning and developing. 

Against McCalman, Pachecho fought to the 10th round for the first time in his six-year career and ended his nine-fight knockout streak. McCalman made matters tough, as Pacheco outlanded the then-undefeated fighter, 86 to 69. Judges scored the fight 96-94, 97-93 and 98-92 in favor of Pacheco. 

“McCalman made the fight awkward, slow and not fan-friendly,” said Pacheco. “He didn’t let me get off as much as I am used to. He did a lot of little things that disrupted my offense. But he wasn’t really trying to win. I landed the better punches, but wasn’t as happy with my performance. We got the win, and we learn from it. You have to go through it to learn from it.”

Sulecki, a 35-year-old from Warsaw, Poland, is no stranger to the big stage. A career-best win against Gabriel Rosado in 2019 set up the lone title shot of his 14-year career against Demetrius Andrade the same year, which resulted in a shutout decision loss. The only other loss Sulecki has suffered was a competitive unanimous decision to Daniel Jacobs in 2018. 

“Sulecki is a tough fighter who has been in great fights,” said Pacheco. “Our styles and mentalities should make for a great fight. Saturday should be an amazing night. I can’t overlook him. I’m extremely ready and can’t wait to see what he brings to the ring. 

Pacheco’s promoter Eddie Hearn is making a concerted effort to build his prizefighter, giving the Los Angeles-born and bred boxer another showcase fight in Southern California. After headlining the YouTube Theater in his hometown of Inglewood in November, a KO against Marcelo Coceres, Pacheco will now main event at the “War Grounds” five years after fighting his sixth career fight in the arena famous for fistic fireworks. 

“The War Grounds is an amazing place, and I’ve been there plenty of times as a fan, and now to be the one inviting people and headlining is a great feeling,” said Pacheco. “I’m ready to show out. My career is in a great place right now and I just have to keep putting in the work to move forward.” 

Pacheco is ready to plant his flag as the latest entry and credible contender to Canelo Alvarez’s throne as the 168-pound king.

With David Morrell and Pacheco teammate David Benavidez moving on to 175 pounds, Pacheco, who is trained by Jose Benavidez Sr., is primed to quickly position himself as a potential challenger to Alvarez. 

Pacheco is a former Alvarez sparring partner who could perhaps get fast-tracked to landing the next lottery ticket to face the Mexican star, especially since the division is lacking top names that Alvarez hasn’t faced yet. 

Alvarez is next set to face Edgar Berlanga, the Puerto Rican opponent Pacheco is confident he’d crush.

“Canelo is great and is the king of the division at the moment but I am 100 percent confident Eddie Hearn can get me a Canelo or Berlanga fight,” said Pacheco. “He’s the best promoter in the game and I trust him to properly move my career. 

“All of the top 10 guys are potential next opponents for me. It doesn’t matter who comes first. We will eventually fight all of them. I’m only 23. I’m not even in my prime yet. I have a long way to go. I believe I will have Jaime Munguia, Christian Mbilli and Berlanga on my resume before I retire.

“I’m doing everything right. I’m not bashing or disrespecting anyone. I don’t have to act a fool for attention or talk my way into a fight. I’m putting in my work, and my time will come, either against Canelo, or someone else.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine, and more. He’s been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.