With victory, Diego Pacheco looks at being primed for being one of the best super middleweights who doesn’t hold a belt.
Pacheco won a 12-round unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Steven Nelson, when headlining a Matchroom promotion at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
Pacheco, 23 and who trains with Jose Benavidez Snr, won the most consequential fight of his career and is developing a strong resume for a fighter of his age. Pacheco, who is from Los Angeles, holds a record of 22-0 (18 KOs). His win over Nelson, 36 years old – a friend and training partner of Terence Crawford, coached by the respected Brian “Bomac” McIntyre – meant Nelson fell to 20-1 (16 KOs).
5. Jaime Munguia, 44-2 (35 KOs)
Mexico’s Munguia, 28, suffered a shocking knockout loss to Bruno Surace in December. That fight was perceived as a tune-up, but turned into a nightmare. Munguia has a contracted rematch with Surace and if he can get by the French fighter who previously stopped him, he will look for big fights, especially after going the distance with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May 2024. An emerging Pacheco fits the bill as a bout between two notable, big-name contenders.
4. Osleys Iglesias, 13-0 (12 KOs)
Cuba’s Iglesias, 27, is far from a household name, but his 2024 was one of the most impressive of any fighter. He knocked out two fringe contenders in Marcelo Coceres and Evgeny Shvedenko in one round, stopped Sena Agbeko in two, and then finished his year by stopping Petro Ivanov in five. Iglesias went from being little-known to an exciting addition to the super-middleweight division. Iglesias represents a high-risk, low-reward opponent, but is also a very fascinating one. Iglesias and Pacheco both fought Coceres. Pacheco stopped him in nine rounds; Iglesias recorded a quick-and-impressive stoppage.
3. Edgar Berlanga, 22-1 (17 KOs)
Berlanga, 27, has one of the biggest personalities in the super-middleweight division. He went 12 rounds with Alvarez in September, validating his talent after years of indifferent performances. Berlanga started his career like a video game character when he stopped 16 opponents, all in the first round. He has since had some ups and downs, but he is a formidable puncher who is undervalued. He recorded five straight decision victories after his knockout streak when his performances didn’t always particularly impress. Not unlike Munguia, Berlanga enhanced his reputation by going 12 rounds when losing a unanimous decision to Alavez. A fight between he and Pacheco would involve two fighters from the US who had been destined for stardom.
2. Christian Mbilli, 28-0 (23 KOs)
Pacheco and Mbilli, 29, perhaps represent the coming era of the super-middleweight division, post-Alverez. Having these two face each other would possibly crown the best fighter in the division outside of Alvarez. Mbilli is a pressure fighter; Pacheco favours using distance, but isn’t above throwing with power. From a sporting standpoint, a match-up between them is second only to a mega fight. It is two top fighters who have taken a more traditional boxer’s path to the top of division facing their equivalent as they look for a title shot. It has been rumored in the past, and maybe will be revisited after Pacheco’s most recent performance.
1. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 62-2-2 (39 KOs) With his victory, Pacheco became the number-one contender for the WBO super-middleweight title held by Alvarez. An imminent fight is unlikely because Alvarez appears to be positioned to fight Crawford in September. It could be too soon for Pacheco, but it would be fun to see him get his shot after such a big win in a 50-50 type fight.
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