{"id":351658,"date":"2025-12-16T12:16:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T12:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/351658\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T12:16:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T12:16:14","slug":"hearn-feels-first-knockdown-of-pachecos-career-could-entice-potential-opponents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/351658\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearn Feels First Knockdown Of Pacheco\u2019s Career Could Entice Potential Opponents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diego Pacheco\u2019s<\/a> promoter thinks the vulnerability the undefeated super middleweight showed Saturday night might actually help his cause.<\/p>\n

Now that Pacheco suffered his first knockdown as an amateur or pro, Eddie Hearn wouldn\u2019t be surprised if apprehensive potential opponents change their minds about boxing him. Los Angeles\u2019 Pacheco has developed into one of the top fighters in the 168-pound division, yet Hearn has had trouble finding highly rated super middleweights willing to face him.<\/p>\n

Kevin Lele Sadjo<\/a> was unbeaten before he opposed Pacheco at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California<\/a>. The Cameroonian contender hadn\u2019t fought anyone nearly as good as the taller, hard-punching Pacheco, but his own power made matters interesting.<\/p>\n

Sadjo\u2019s left hook dropped Pacheco about 45 seconds into the eighth round. Pacheco recovered, regained control of the bout and won the 12-rounder comfortably on two scorecards (117-110, 116-111 and 115-112).<\/p>\n

\u201cI was saying to the guys,\u201d Hearn told DAZN\u2019s Chris Mannix, \u201csometimes you get dropped, those guys, all of a sudden, that might not have taken the fight before might decide they wanna take the fight. Hamzah Sheeraz, particularly Jaime Munguia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs) and Hearn both said that Mexico\u2019s Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) is their preferred opponent<\/a> for Pacheco\u2019s first fight of 2026. Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia\u2019s General Entertainment Authority and owner of The Ring, has expressed interest in matching Pacheco against England\u2019s Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) on a Riyadh Season show in February.<\/p>\n

Whichever opponent Pacheco encounters next, Hearn acknowledged he\u2019ll need to be better than he was in defeating Sadjo (26-1, 23 KOs). Matchroom Boxing\u2019s chairman also believes The Ring\u2019s fifth-ranked super middleweight will apply what he learned during his third 12-round, unanimous-decision win of this year against top opponents in his division.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what? So many boxes ticked [Saturday night],\u201d Hearn said regarding Pacheco\u2019s performance. \u201cHe\u2019s 24 years old. Nobody wants to fight Kevin Sadjo. He\u2019s a nightmare. You saw that. He got dropped, come back, nearly stopped Sadjo at the back end of the fight. He\u2019ll learn so much from that. I think he can be better, think he knows that. But sometimes you\u2019ve gotta have nights at the office like that, where you come through the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a lesser fighter, a lesser man, with lesser heart, lesser ability, would\u2019ve got beat tonight. But at 24 years of age, I think this guy solidified himself as one of the future [stars] of the 168-pound division. He\u2019s right, he needs that big fight now, because he\u2019s ticked all the boxes. You know, Steve Nelson, Trevor McCumby, Kevin Sadjo. Where else do you go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.<\/p>\n

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