Boxing

Diego Pacheco, Eddie Hearn Reveal Next Steps After Win vs. Steven Nelson

Diego Pacheco has big names in his sights after his hard-earned decision win over Steven Nelson.
Nathaniel Marrero|
Diego Pacheco (23-0-18KOs) defeats Steven Nelson (20-1-16KOs) by unanimous decision at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Diego Pacheco (23-0-18KOs) defeats Steven Nelson (20-1-16KOs) by unanimous decision at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. | IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

It's on to bigger and better things for Diego Pacheco.

The undefeated USWBC and WBO International super middleweight champion defended his belts with a hard-fought but decisive unanimous decision victory over Steven Nelson on Saturday night at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

With the win, Pacheco improved to 23-0 with 18 knockouts and became the first fighter to defeat Nelson, who is now 20-1 with 16 knockouts.

Pacheco, 23, is well-positioned to nab a big fight, whether that's against unified super middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez or another big name in the division. For Pacheco, any of the fighters ranked ahead of him would suffice for his next fight.

"Any of those guys in the top five," Pacheco said in the post-fight interview. Eddie [Hearn] knows we've been trying to get those guys. I never ducked anybody. Anybody they brought up to the table. I said, 'Let's go. Let's do it.' Steven Nelson was the guy who had been calling me out too and I told him we could run it. Gotta give him his opportunity and we gave the fans a hell of a fight."

Eddie Hearn, Pacheco's promoter, had a couple of names in mind, including Edgar Berlanga and Christian Mbilli.

"We need to be called as mandatory to Canelo Alvarez," Hearn said. "We still need one, probably two more fights before we're ready for that level. That was a good test tonight and now we need one of the big names, whether that's [Jermall] Charlo, [Caleb] Plant, [Edgar] Berlanga, [Jaime] Munguia, [or Christian] Mbilli. That's the next step for Diego Pacheco."

A fight against Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) would be easier to make given that both he and Pacheco are promoted by Hearn and Matchroom Boxing. A fight against Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs) could serve as a de facto title eliminator, as he is rated in the top three by all four major sanctioning bodies, including the WBC, which ranks him No. 1.

Pacheco is ranked in the top six by three of the four major sanctioning bodies and is No. 1 in the WBO, with Mbilli just behind him at No. 2.

Berlanga is also ranked in the top six by three of the four major sanctioning bodies.

With super middleweight in a holding pattern due to the rumored bout between Canelo and WBA junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford, it'd be ideal if the top contenders in the division fight eachother. If Pacheco lands Berlanga or Mbilli as his next opponent, it would go a long way toward determining who could be the next face of the division.

The Latest Boxing News

David Benavidez Calls Out Canelo Alvarez For Terence Crawford Fight Choice

Zhilei Zhang Picks The Harder Puncher Between Anthony Joshua And Deontay Wilder

Diego Pacheco Stays Unbeaten With Decision Win Over Steven Nelson

Former Opponent Claims Mike Tyson Was On Steroids When They Fought

Published
Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero

Share on XFollow Nate_Marrero