Diego Pacheco connects on Maciej Sulecki en route to a sixth round knockout on August 31 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Photo credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom.
There is always something about being the first.
Diego Pacheco can proudly beat his chest after becoming the first to knock out former title challenger Maciej Sulecki. A perfectly placed left hook to the body delivered the knockout at 0:54 of round six on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
“It was hard to find that spot to land it,” Pacheco told DAZN’s Chris Mannix after the fight. “When I did that, I knew it was over.”
Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) was determined to resume his knockout ways after going the distance in his last fight. Shawn McCalman provided some interesting looks, but seemed more content to extend Pacheco laps than fight to win. In his first career fight, Pacheco settled for ten rounds by unanimous decision.
Stylistically, this was a much more fan-friendly match on paper and in reality. It was the perfect match for Pacheco’s second starring role in his home territory of Los Angeles.
Sulecki from Poland fought as advertised and enjoyed a strong opening round. Pacheco’s defense may be the one chink in his 23-year-old armor, though that’s where an experienced corner steps in. Head Coach Jose Benavidez Sr. reminded his young charge to double his jab and keep his left when Sulecki came over with his right.
The advice was expertly heeded by Pacheco, who showed poise as he methodically set up his eventual knockout punch.
“I could see after the third and fourth rounds that he was slower,” Pacheco noted. “Sulecki is a hell of a fighter. He came to fight, he came to win.
“But he has never come across anything like this before. This is the DP show.”
The Diego Pacheco performance was firing on all cylinders late in the fifth. A combination in the middle rocked Sulecki, an iron-legged Polish middleweight who survived the incoming onslaught and the round.
His luck finally ran out once Pacheco found the sweet spot.
Pacheco worked behind his jab in the early part of the sixth round. Sulecki fought in reverse and did well to avoid the incoming. He even slipped a straight right hand by Pacheco, who instinctively moved and launched his left hook to the liver.
Sulecki falls to the canvas and clutches his side in pain. Referee Ray Corona reached the count of ten, as Sulecki was still on the deck, where he remained deep in Pacheco’s post-fight celebration.
Pacheco was credited with landing 81 of 280 total punches (28.9%) according to Compubox. He now joins former titlists Daniel Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade as the only fighters to post a loss to Sulecki, who landed 49 of 207 punches (23.7%).
Andrade was an undefeated two-division titleholder when he shutout Sulecki in their June 2019 WBO middleweight title fight. Jacobs dropped Sulecki in the final round of a unanimous decision victory in their April 2018 middleweight title eliminator.
Pacheco literally refused to let Sulecki off the hook.
“He’s a strong fighter, he came forward,” Pacheco said. “With my skills and hard work combined it makes a good fighter. That’s what I am, a great fighter.”
The Ring’s no. 4-rated super middleweight is now also in prime position to challenge for a major title in 2025.
He is already the number one contender at the WBO. The belt is owned by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs), who is also The Ring champion and WBC/WBA titlist.
Alvarez next defends against WBA mandatory Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) on September 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The working theory is that Pacheco will get one more fight before Matchroom – who he signed with at the age of 17 – will try to force the mandatory. If that day comes sooner, he promises to be ready for the sport’s cash cow.
“I don’t back down from any challenge,” Pacheco insisted. “Let’s get it on.”
The more likely scenario is a high-profile assignment by the end of the year, albeit not against the division king.
“Anyone in the top ten,” promised Pacheco, who particularly wants Sept. 20 winner Jaime Munguia-Erik Bazinyan. “Matchroom brought some names to the table. I said yes to everyone.”
