Diego Pacheco Motivated To Make Late Brother ‘Proud And Fulfill All My Dreams For Him’
Super-middleweight contender Diego Pacheco says he is motivated by both his own legacy and a determination to “fulfill my dreams” for his late brother.
Pacheco (21-0-0 17 KO) takes the next step in his prodigious career on Saturday when he faces Polish veteran Maciej Sulecki (32-2-0 12 KO) in the headline bout of Matchroom Boxing’s show in Carson, California. The Los Angeles native will be making the third defense of his two belts – the WBC’s USA and the WBO’s international titles.
Pacheco’s second fight of 2024 comes amid a rollercoaster year. He became a father in February and defeated Shawn McCalman in a tough battle in April, but a few weeks later lost his brother Manuel a week before what would have been his 28th birthday.
Manuel had 3p deletion syndrome – a genetic condition that results from a chromosomal change in which a small piece of chromosome 3 is deleted in each cell.
“I was close to my brother, and it’s never easy when you lose someone close to you,” Pacheco, 23, told BoxingScene. “The feeling is hard to describe and you have no words for it, you can just pray for better days. I have mixed emotions, but there is motivation and hunger to make him proud and fulfill all of my dreams for him.”
Pacheco’s career so far would undoubtedly have made Manuel proud. A boxing phenom, Pacheco turned professional when he was just 17 years old after a stellar amateur career. He has dealt with every opponent put in front of him to surge up the 160lb rankings where he is now the WBO’s No 1-ranked contender.
A statement victory against an established name remains absent from his record, although given his age and potential, it will only be a matter of time until he’s matched against his fellow contenders. The Californian, however, insists he’s ready now.
“I want to show the world that I am on my way to becoming a great. I’m ready,” said Pacheco, whose younger brother Federico is also a pro fighter and has a perfect record from seven fights as a heavyweight.
“If it was up to me I’d be fighting a top-five guy right now. I can’t snap my fingers and make these fights happen though. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. The time will come for me to get the fights. I’ve been trying to make them but they don’t happen. In due time, they will happen.”
Against McCalman, Pacheco was taken the distance for the first time in a 10-round bout, and while he got the expected victory, it was not an easy outing. His unbeaten opponent refused to allow his fellow American to settle into a rhythm and the bout in Las Vegas was scrappy.
It may not have been his prettiest performance, but Pacheco, who was awarded the win 98-92, 97-93, 96-94, says he was able to take away plenty of lessons.
“McCalman made the fight awkward, slow and not fan-friendly,” he said. “He didn’t let me get off as much as I am used to. He did a lot of little things that disrupted my offense. But he wasn’t really trying to win. I landed the better punches but wasn’t as happy with my performance. We got the win, and we learn from it. You have to go through it to learn from it.”
Next up on Saturday might be Pacheco’s toughest challenge to date. The 35-year-old Sulecki is approaching the end of his career but he will enter the ring with bags of experience; his only defeats have come against world-level opposition in Daniel Jacobs, in April 2018, and Demetrius Andrade 14 months later. The Polish fighter has never been stopped.
“Sulecki is a tough fighter who has been in great fights,” said Pacheco. “Our styles and mentalities should make for a great fight. Saturday should be an amazing night. I can’t overlook him. I’m extremely ready and can’t wait to see what he brings to the ring.”
