Shaun Brown spoke to the super-middleweight prospect just before he clashed with Sulecki…
FIVE years ago Diego Pacheco beat Terry Fernandez by third-round stoppage in a four-round contest. The bout kicked off a Golden Boy Promotions card – headlined by Jaime Munguia vs. Patrick Allotey – at the ‘War Grounds’ in Carson, California.
Pacheco, then 18 years old, was a skinny 6ft 4ins super-middleweight trying to make his mark at an outdoor venue synonymous with great fights, once called the Home Depot Center but now known as the Dignity Health Sports Park.
Back in 2007 and 2008, Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez waged war there twice in their four-fight series. While Timothy Bradley Jr and Ruslan Provodnikov, Lucas Matthysse and John Molina Jr, and Francisco Vargas and Orlando Salido all left part of themselves at the same venue between 2013 and 2016 in violent fight of the year contenders.
On Saturday, August 31 Pacheco returns to the ‘War Grounds’ against Polish veteran Maciej Sulecki – but this time as the main event and under the Matchroom Boxing banner. And in 2024 Pacheco is a leading world super-middleweight title contender in a division dominated by Canelo Alvarez.
Realising how far he has come from novice to main event fighter was pleasing for Pacheco when Boxing News spoke to him recently.
“It’s an amazing feeling when I really think about it. Five years ago when I was on that run in 2019, that was one of the fights. It was the Munguia undercard,” he recalled.
“I was opening up the show for them [Golden Boy] in Carson at the Dignity Health Sports Park. And it was a great experience. I was fighting an undefeated opponent at the time.
“And I got the win, third round knockout. And it continued to be a great place for fights. I have a lot of memories there with my family and friends who were going to enjoy some fights as a fan. And for me to now be headlining there and to be inviting everyone to come watch, it’s a great feeling. I’m excited.”
“I’m very motivated,” he added. “I put the work in this camp and I can’t wait to put on a great show at the war grounds.”
Pacheco has been bending the ear of promoter Eddie Hearn for tougher fights and Sulecki is the type of test that is needed for the Californian. Since 2018 his opponent has shared the ring with former world champions Daniel Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade and, while Sulecki didn’t beat either of them, he does hold a 10-round win over Gabe Rosado. But the 35-year-old from Warsaw is a middleweight but should, at least, ask some questions of Pacheco.
“I’ve been trying to make some big fights with other great fighters,” Pacheco said.
“But for several reasons, the fights don’t go through. And we felt that Sulecki was a great fit for me right now. He’s a tough veteran fighter who’s been in a lot of tough fights and world championship fights. And obviously I’m an up-and-coming contender and I need to be tested against guys like this to get to that next level. And I’m excited for this fight.
“I feel like Sulecki has never been in the ring with a boxer puncher like me, who’s 6ft 4ins, can move, can use the ring, can stay in the inside and go to the body as well. His style with my style and his mentality with my mentality is going to make for an amazing fight.
“I’m just excited. I’m excited to put on a great show. Especially after my last fight. My last opponent Shawn McCalman. He made the fight very awkward and weird for me. He didn’t let me get off as much as I would like to. So I definitely want to come back and get back to my knockout ways and just put on great performances.”
Life is travelling in the right direction for Pacheco. A rising star who became a father this year, the young man from South Central in Los Angeles has matured thanks to the arrival of his daughter. Changed days for Pacheco who admitted in a Matchroom documentary (available on YouTube) that his life could have gone another route if the streets had swallowed him up.
“My daughter has changed my life completely. I feel like I’ve just matured a lot more, I’m a lot more focused,” Pacheco told BN
“I put a lot more thought into every single thing I do. I’m really just motivated.
“I have my daughter. I try to enjoy all the little things now. Back then, when you’re young, everything seems easy. That was always my mentality, ‘I’ll be okay’. Now it’s not just about me. I have my daughter, I have my family.
“Now I’ve got to the point where I just want to be home. I just want to be in my house. I just want to be with my daughter. I just want to be with my wife. The days go by so fast, being in camp, starting the morning workout, and then it’s time to go to the gym at noon again. Then you come home and it’s time to go again.
“The days just fly by [so] I try my best to just enjoy every moment here at home with my daughter and my wife. That’s really what it’s about for me, putting in the work and spending quality time with my loved ones.”
Beating Sulecki will tick off another fight and another day closer to a world title opportunity. At the time of writing, Pacheco was the WBO No.1 contender and sitting at fourth with the IBF and WBC. Underneath Canelo Alvarez, who now holds three of the belts, there are a few interesting challengers beginning to emerge. Pacheco is one of them, in a strong position and it’s possible that a fight against the Mexican could happen next year.
“I’m definitely willing to take that fight with obviously Canelo, who’s the champion,” he said.
“But if Canelo, for some reason, doesn’t want to give me that opportunity, then I’m willing to fight every other guy who’s there in the top 10.
“There’s a lot of guys. There’s [Christian] Mbilli, there’s Edgar Berlanga, there’s Jaime Munguia. There’s plenty that’ll make for some big fights.”
And, if Pacheco has to wait for a shot at a title, then he wants to make great fights for the fans.
“That’s one of my goals”, he said.
“If I can’t get to the world title yet, then let’s just make the biggest fights possible to get us closer to that world title. That’s what it’s about, man. That’s what I’m in this for.
“We’re just in the beginning of my career still. I’m excited for what’s to come. A lot of big fights in the next few years.”