Boxing

Steven Nelson 'Can't Afford To Lose' vs. Diego Pacheco

Steven Nelson is looking to pull off the upset when he faces Diego Pacheco on Saturday.
Nathaniel Marrero|
Steven Nelson at a media workout at B&B Boxing Gym in Omaha, Nebraska.
Steven Nelson at a media workout at B&B Boxing Gym in Omaha, Nebraska. | IMAGO/Hoganphotos

Who you're backed by makes a world of difference in how quicky a boxer can ascend the ranks.

Being a top prospect with a major promoter and manager is worth its weight in gold for someone looking to quickly make a name for themselves and get matched properly en route to eventually fighting for a world title.

That isn't the path Steven 'So Cold' Nelson has taken to arrive at the biggest fight of his career on Saturday. Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) will face fellow unbeaten and rising contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) for the WBC USA and WBO International Super Middleweight belts at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

Pacheco, 23, is one of the fighters who's had the proper backing and with good reason, as he's worked his way up to being on the cusp of being ranked in the top six in three of the four major sanctioning bodies, including being No. 1 in the WBO's rankings. Nelson, 36, has had to take the long way to get to Saturday night and knows what's at stake when he squares off with Pacheco.

"[Pacheco] takes a loss, he can bounce back," Nelson said at the press conference on Thursday. "I'm 36 from Omaha, Nebraska, been through hell to get here, and I mean hell. And not just in boxing, military, being shot, being blown up, being through everything, injuries, all that. I can't afford to lose. So if you think I'm coming in this fight just to lay down, I'm not. So you can make it hard or it could be easy. But I'm not losing. I'm not backing down."

Nelson has found his stride of late, winning six of his last seven bouts by stoppage, the last of which was a knockout victory over previously unbeaten Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez in the fifth round on Aug. 3. The 5-foot-10 super middleweight out of Omaha, Neb. didn't make his professional debut until 2016.

Nelson both figuratively and literally has a tall task when he faces the 6-foot-4 Pacheco. But given what could come if he pulls off the upset, he knows his life and the lives of those around him will be changed forever with a win.

"This is life-changing for me, the people around me, the kids I coach [and] my family," Nelson said. "[There's"] so much behind this. I'm not fighting for Steven Nelson. I'm fighting for a whole community of people. People who get opportunities that have the talent in and outside of boxing. I'm speaking for those people, man. Like, it's hard out here and we gotta, we gotta step up and make s*** happen."

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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

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