Tim Bradley believes Diego Pacheco has outgrown showcase fights and should begin testing himself against the division’s better contenders after his victory over Immanuwel Aleem. The former two-division world champion singled out Hamzah Sheeraz, Edgar Berlanga and Lester Martinez as opponents Pacheco should pursue instead of continuing to face limited opposition.
“It’s time to grab a hold of them balls, bro. You should have been handling Sheeraz. I was picking you to beat Sheeraz. Sheeraz is getting better and better while your ass is sitting back here fighting against dudes like Aleem,” said Bradley on his YouTube channel. “Why don’t you go ahead and go after Berlanga after this? Better yet, go ahead and get Lester. Lester fought this dude, and we’re comparing the two. Lester went the full distance with him. You got him up out of there. Why don’t you fight Lester? That’s a hell of a fight.”
Bradley is right that Pacheco needs a real test, but Saturday’s performance didn’t convince me he’s ready for the division’s elite. He boxed well, finished Aleem impressively and showed patience under Buddy McGirt, yet he was still getting hit too often by a fighter who isn’t known as a devastating puncher. That’s the concern.
If Aleem was able to land that frequently, what happens against Osleys Iglesias, Lester Martinez or even middleweights Carlos Adames or Yoenli Hernandez if they moved up? Those fighters carry more power, are physically stronger, and wouldn’t be as forgiving once Pacheco found himself exchanging at close range.
The Kevin Lele Sadjo fight exposed flaws in Pacheco when the action became physical. He didn’t look comfortable under sustained pressure, and those issues weren’t answered against Aleem because the matchup never forced him into the same type of fight.
Pacheco’s post-fight comments focused on Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia. Eddie Hearn has also floated Munguia as a possible next opponent. If Matchroom wants to prove Pacheco belongs with the division’s elite, fights against Iglesias, Lester, Adames or Hernandez would answer far more questions than a quick jump toward a lucrative name.
Hearn has the financial backing to make those fights. If Matchroom bypasses them and heads straight toward Munguia, it will be difficult to ignore the possibility that the priority is maximizing Pacheco’s value before a dangerous contender exposes the flaws that are still visible in his game.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/19 at 7:26 PM
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