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Promoter Eddie Hearn confirms ready or not, Diego Pacheco will be the WBO’s mandatory challenger for Saul Canelo Alvarez in the future. Eddie Hearn believes that Diego Pacheco is just a few moments away from a defining fight.
However, Diego Pacheco must win tonight’s fight at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. As a super middleweight contender, Pacheco is 21-0 (17 KOs) and will face veteran boxer Maciej Sulecki, who has a ring record of 32-2 (12 KOs).
”The reality is, the WBO will call him the mandatory against Canelo in the next six to 12 months, he’s already number one. And when that opportunity comes, we’ve got to take it because it’s like a lottery ticket. So you just have to try and make sure he’s ready,” said Eddie Hearn.
”I look at him and think is he ready? I think there are phases… Sulecki explained, a good fight, if Pacheco is what we think he is, he should win and win well. If he destroys him, then the next step for me is Mibilli, Munguia, Bazinyan, those guys,” he explained.
Hearn likened Pacheco’s opportunity to Edgar Berlanga’s golden opportunity to face Canelo. ”It’s a bit like the Berlanga fight,” Hearn added, referring to Edgar Berlanga’s fight against Canelo Alvarez on September 14.
“You might be one fight short of Berlanga with the same names I just mentioned before you face Canelo. But at the same time, when you get it, you have to take it. For me, this is Pacheco’s last fight in what some people would argue is a 50-50 fight. And then, if he gets through that, he’s got no choice but to fight Canelo. We have to take it, next September, a year from now. I don’t know what else to do,” Hearn explained.
Hearn feels the same way about Clarke, who is 9-0 (7 KOs) at cruiserweight and is ranked the same by all four rating agencies. The 33-year-old Briton has stopped Ellis Zorro and Tommy McCarthy this year, and will meet 12-2 (12 KOs) Efetobor Apochi – “The Nigerian Pit Bull” on the same card.
”To be honest, it’s a very tough fight,” Hearn added. “Very tough. The guy’s had two losses. Look at those fights, they were split decisions, he’s never lost, he’s only lost on the road. He beat [Jai] Opetaia at the Commonwealth Games, he’s a serious guy. But for Chev, if he can beat Billam-Smith or Riakporhe or Isaac Chamberlain, which is unlikely, he’s a different guy,” he added.
”If he wins tomorrow and gets one more win, I don’t know what else he’s going to do but fight for a world title or if we can’t get one of the big fights domestically, then this would be a great fight for him. Ten rounds. Tough fight. American debut. And I think if he can do it well, he might be one fight away from a world title fight.”
(aww)
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2024-09-02 19:09:36