Pacheco’s Vulnerability Revealed – Boxing News 24

By Dan Ambrose – 01/26/2025 – Comments

Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs) denied that Steven Nelson (20-1, 16 KOs) was the most formidable opponent he’s faced during his professional career after beating him by a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores 117-111 x 3 on Saturday night at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Although Pacheco didn’t name fighters who had given him a tougher time, Shawn McCalman and Marcelo Coceres stand out as two with whom he had significant issues.

Exposed Flaws

Nelson was a nightmare for Pacheco, 23, because he stayed in there until the later rounds and then came on strong in the 11th and 12th to dish out punishment. He forced Pacheco to hold frequently in those rounds to neutralize the attacks. Pacheco did not look impressive.

The two flaws Nelson exposed in Pacheco

No inside game
Uncomfortable with pressure
Lacks confidence: Nelson backed up Pacheco throughout the fight, forcing him to give ground and hold.

The performance showed that Pacheco is vulnerable and can be beaten by fighters who put pressure and power on him. On the other hand, Nelson showed that Pacheco struggles even against non-punchers if you can attack him relentlessly.

“Anybody in the top five. I’m ranked #1 with the WBO and top five with the other sanctioning bodies,” said Diego Pacheco at the post-fight press conference when asked who he wants to fight next following his win over Steven Nelson on Saturday night.

“Skill-wise maybe,” said Pacheco when asked if Steven Nelson was his toughest opponent. “I didn’t feel like I was in any trouble in any rounds. Maybe in the last round, where he caught me with a few punches, and I had to tighten up a little bit. Steven Nelson showed great heart and a great chin. But other than that, nothing else.

“I showed my skills, and my game plan was a lot better. I felt like I was never tired in any round. I felt like I controlled the pace and controlled the fight. I could have gone more rounds if the fight was longer,” said Pacheco.