Diego Pacheco connects on Maciej Sulecki en path to a sixth-round knockout on Aug. 31 at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California. Photograph credit score: Melina Pizano/Matchroom.
There may be at all times one thing about being the primary.
Diego Pacheco can proudly pound his chest after he turned the primary to knock out former title challenger Maciej Sulecki. A superbly positioned left hook to the physique produced the knockout at 0:54 of spherical six Saturday at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California.
“It was arduous to search out that place to land it,” Pacheco instructed DAZN’s Chris Mannix after the combat. “As soon as I did, I knew it was over.”
Pacheco (22-0, 18 knockouts) was decided to renew his knockout methods after he went the gap in his final combat. Shawn McCalman supplied some fascinating appears to be like however appeared extra content material to increase Pacheco rounds than combat to win. Pacheco settled for a unanimous choice in his first profession combat to go ten rounds.
Type-wise, this was a much more fan-friendly matchup on paper and in actuality. It was the right match for Pacheco’s second headliner in his residence Los Angeles space.
Poland’s Sulecki fought as marketed and loved a robust opening spherical. Pacheco’s protection is maybe the one chink in his 23-year-old armor, although that’s the place an skilled nook intervenes. Head coach Jose Benavidez Sr. reminded his younger cost to double up on his jab and preserve his left at any time when Sulecki got here excessive together with his proper.
The recommendation was expertly heeded by Pacheco, who confirmed poise as he methodically arrange his eventual knockout.
“I may inform after the third and fourth spherical, he was slowing down,” noticed Pacheco. “Sulecki is a hell of a fighter. He got here to combat, he got here to win.
“However he by no means bumped into something like this earlier than. It’s the DP present.”
The Diego Pacheco present was firing on all cylinders late within the fifth. A mix down the center rocked Sulecki, an iron-chinned Polish middleweight who survived the incoming assault and the spherical.
His luck finally ran out as soon as Pacheco discovered the candy spot.
Pacheco labored behind his jab within the early portion of the sixth spherical. Sulecki fought in reverse and did nicely to keep away from the incoming. He even slipped a straight proper hand by Pacheco, who instinctively shifted and launched his left hook to the liver.
Sulecki dropped to the canvas and clutched his aspect in ache. Referee Ray Corona reached the depend of ten as Sulecki was nonetheless on the deck, the place he remained deep into Pacheco’s post-fight celebration.
Pacheco was credited with touchdown 81-of-280 whole punches (28.9%) in accordance with Compubox. He now joins former titlists Daniel Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade as the one fighters to hold a loss on Sulecki, who landed 49-of-207 punches (23.7%).
Andrade was an undefeated two-division titlist on the time he shut out Sulecki of their June 2019 WBO middleweight title combat. Jacobs dropped Sulecki within the remaining spherical of a unanimous choice win of their April 2018 middleweight title eliminator.
Pacheco actually refused to let Sulecki off the hook.
“He’s a robust fighter, he was coming ahead,” acknowledged Pacheco. “With my abilities and arduous work mixed, it makes for a fantastic fighter. That’s what I’m, a fantastic fighter.”
The Ring’s No. 4-rated tremendous middleweight is now additionally in prime place to problem for a serious title in 2025.
He’s already the number-one contender with the WBO. The belt is owned by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs), who can also be The Ring champ and WBC/WBA titlist.
Alvarez subsequent defends versus WBA obligatory Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) on Sept. 14 at T-Cell Area in Las Vegas.
The working concept is that Pacheco will get yet one more combat earlier than Matchroom—with whom he signed at age 17—will search to implement the obligatory. If that day comes sooner, he vows to be prepared for the game’s money cow.
“I don’t again down from any problem,” Pacheco insisted. “Let’s get it on.”
The extra probably state of affairs is a high-profile task by yr’s finish, even when not versus the divisional king.
“Anybody within the prime ten,” vowed Pacheco, who specifically would really like the Sept. 20 Jaime Munguia-Erik Bazinyan winner. “Matchroom introduced just a few names to the desk. I stated sure to all of them.”
