LAS VEGAS – Diego Pacheco, banking on the pure belongings of youth, and Steven Nelson, investing within the knowledge of expertise, each made weight Friday forward of their DAZN important occasion Saturday night time at The Cosmopolitan.
The No. 1-rated WBO tremendous middleweight contender to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Pacheco, 23, weighed in at 166.6lbs and Nelson, 36, got here in on the weight restrict, 168.0lbs.
“I’m ready. I hope he’s prepared for what’s coming. If he doesn’t know, he’s about to search out out,” mentioned South Central Los Angeles’ Pacheco, 22-0 (18 KOs). “Steven Nelson is an effective fighter, however he’s by no means been in there with no fighter like me.”
Pacheco, standing 6in taller and possessing a virtually 4in attain benefit in opposition to Nelson, is coming off a dismissal of one other veteran by stopping former middleweight title challenger Maciej Sulecki in August in one other DAZN important occasion, outdoors Los Angeles.
Pacheco is aiming to take the victory to showdowns in opposition to the elites of the division, together with the WBA’s and WBC’s top-ranked Christian Mbilli, former titleholder Caleb Plant and up to date title challenger Edger Berlanga.
Nelson, in the meantime, is relying on his classes gained on the world-class gymnasium headed by 2023 Coach of the Yr Brian “Bomac” McIntyre and a solid of formidable gymnasium mates headed by four-division champion Terence Crawford.
One other of these gymnasium mates paused in entrance of Nelson after the fighters obtained chippy of their face-off, urging Nelson to “take that MF’er to highschool.”
Nelson assured on stage that “there’s been no stone unturned” in coaching. “He can’t put together for what I’m bringing. It’s going to be an incredible night time.”
Nelson mentioned he isn’t satisfied Pacheco totally is aware of how you can implement the instruments of his top and attain benefits.
“I’m ready for every little thing. I’m stronger, I’m prepared,” Nelson mentioned.
In the course of the face-off, Nelson mentioned Pacheco instructed the veteran that he was “straightforward work” and “scared.”
“No residing being can put worry in my coronary heart,” Nelson mentioned. “He’s going to get in there and discover out.”
The important thing to being a veteran fighter, Nelson mentioned, is endurance.
“All the things I’ve been by means of in life has introduced me right here to point out all people what it means to be smart, [that] I’ve discovered issues in life you simply can’t know at 23. It comes with life.”
McIntyre mentioned he believes Nelson, as a +245 betting underdog, can spring the upset.
“Expertise is boxing IQ, and he has that,” McIntyre mentioned. “All of the instances he’s been within the ring with nice sparring companions … the crew has him prepared.”
Within the co-main occasion, unbeaten two-time Olympic champion Andy Cruz, 4-0 (2 KOs), weighed 134.8lbs, as did opponent Omar Salcido, 20-1 (14 KOs), a +800 underdog.
In one other young-tiger-versus-old-lion match, Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, 16-0 (15 KOs), of Pomona, California, weighed 142 to former two-division champion Jose Pedraza, 29-6-1 (14 KOs), coming in at 143.
Within the DAZN opener, Leonardo Rubalcava, 9-0 (3 KOs), and Mercado’s brother, Israel, 11-1-1 (7 KOs), each weighed 140.
India’s current Olympics quarterfinalist Nishant Dev will make his professional debut at 157lbs in opposition to Alton Wiggins, 1-0, who weighed the identical.
Brooklyn light-weight Harley Mederos, 7-0 (6 KOs), weighed in on the 135lbs restrict together with opponent Arturo de Isla, 5-2-1 (4 KOs); and Zaquin Moses (1-0), and Mario Garcia, 3-0 (3 KOs), each weighed the junior light-weight restrict of 130.
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. author and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has lined boxing for the reason that early 2000s, first on the Los Angeles Instances after which at The Athletic and USA As we speak. He received the Boxing Writers’ Affiliation of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for profession excellence.
