- Diego Pacheco, 26-0 with 19 knockouts, is reported to fight Darius Fulghum (15-1-1, 13 KOs) at super middleweight on November 14 on Matchroom's The Fight, on DAZN and TNT
- Pacheco is said to have passed on a WBO title shot against Janibek Alimkhanuly, and he has already turned down chances against Hamzah Sheeraz and Christian Mbilli this year
- I back Pacheco to stop Fulghum, but the longer he avoids the big names, the louder the questions get
Pacheco vs Fulghum: The Reported Fight
Right then. Diego Pacheco is reported to be fighting Darius Fulghum on November 14 on Matchroom's The Fight card, live on DAZN and TNT. It is a super middleweight bout, and as it stands the matchup is a report rather than an official announcement, with the venue and details still to come.
The story is not Fulghum, though. The story is what Pacheco is turning down. The WBO belt is available, Janibek Alimkhanuly has been the name in the frame, and Pacheco is ranked No. 2 by the WBO and No. 3 by the WBC. If you are ranked that high, you take the title shot. Make no mistake, that is what a champion does.
A Pattern Is Forming
This is not the first time. Pacheco has also passed on fights with Hamzah Sheeraz and Christian Mbilli this year. I understand the logic: he is 25, unbeaten, and his team want to build him carefully. But at some point careful becomes cautious. We saw him grind down Immanuwel Aleem over eleven rounds in July, and the performance was good without being the kind that scares a world champion.
Who Is Fulghum?
Fulghum is a genuine puncher. Thirteen knockouts in fifteen wins tells you everything about how he fights, and he arrives off a third-round stoppage in May. He is 30, he is 15-1-1, and he is the kind of opponent who can have a very good night if the favourite switches off. That is why I do not dismiss him.
The Prediction
Let's not beat around the bush. Pacheco has the boxing, the class and the power, and he is levels above Fulghum on the way he picks his shots. Expect Fulghum to land a couple of hard ones, then Pacheco to take over. I fancy Pacheco by stoppage between rounds six and nine. Then he has to stop dodging the big fights, because the division is waiting.