That caution is understandable. Pacheco’s fight against Kevin Lele Sadjo last December exposed serious weaknesses that one victory over Aleem did not erase.
Sadjo dropped Pacheco and hurt him several times whenever he found enough room to punch. Pacheco survived by clinching repeatedly, preventing Sadjo from maintaining his attack. The holding arguably saved him from being stopped, but it also produced heavy criticism from fans.
Pacheco was fortunate that the referee tolerated it. Malik Waleed disqualified Caroline Veyre for excessive holding in the eighth round against Bernice Ferreira last Saturday on the Claressa Shields vs. Kaye Scott undercard. A similarly strict referee might have forced Pacheco to fight Sadjo without clinching constantly.
The greater concern is how easily Sadjo repeatedly hurt him. Pacheco punches hard, but his upright stance leaves his head available for clean shots. If his punch resistance does not match that exposed fighting style, placing him against an aggressive champion would be a major risk.
“I’m in the second stage of my career now where the learning stage is over,” Pacheco told The Ring. “Now it’s time to go all in and really build that legacy, and I’m going to get there by finding the top names.”
Aleem was a confidence-building test, not the type of threat needed to prove Pacheco has corrected his defensive flaws. The 11th-round knockout showed his patience before finding the stoppage, but Aleem lacked the offense to recreate the pressure Sadjo brought.
Hearn cannot protect Pacheco indefinitely. At 25, he looks close to being as good as he is going to get. His upright stance, defensive reactions, and dependence on clinching when hurt are established habits that another showcase fight may not correct.
At some point, Matchroom must place him in a sink-or-swim fight. Continuing to feed Pacheco developmental opposition does little for his market value or the promoter’s investment. If he defeats Munguia or Iglesias, Matchroom gains a champion it can build around. If he loses, Hearn learns that Pacheco was never going to become the elite fighter he hoped to promote.
Pacheco prefers Munguia because the Mexican champion offers a belt, money, and Southern California exposure. A decisive victory would increase Pacheco’s popularity around Los Angeles and place him closer to a future fight with Canelo Alvarez.
He is not in a position to be choosy, though. If Pacheco genuinely wants the division’s deep end, he should also pursue IBF champion Osleys Iglesias. That fight would likely be easier to secure because Iglesias lacks Munguia’s commercial value, but it would be far more difficult to win.
The final decision belongs to Hearn. If he wants to protect Pacheco from Munguia and Iglesias, Matchroom must continue grooming him rather than selling him as fully prepared for championship-level opposition. Pacheco cannot be treated as ready for the elite while being matched like a prospect.
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