Boxing
Diego Pacheco linked to blockbuster super middleweight bout with British rival poised for world title shot
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Diego Pacheco could be set to challenge Hamzah Sheeraz in 2026, as they plot paths towards the super-middleweight summit.
The California native survived an eighth-round knockdown to outpoint Kevin Lele Sadjo by unanimous decision on Saturday.
It moves the star's record to 25-0 across his professional career, with Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn eyeing world title chances.
Now, The Ring reports that a Riyadh Season bout for Pacheco against Briton Sheeraz could be on the cards for a February date.
The latter has been ordered to face WBC interim champion Christian M'billi in a bout that would see the winner take the full title.
The governing body stripped Terence Crawford of the strap following a failure to pay fees to them over his last two major bouts.
It remains to be seen if the sport's powerbrokers could tee up a bout between Pachecho and Sheeraz, though there are hurdles.
Plans for a late-winter show would give the former a limited turnaround, with any bout only two-and-a-half months after his last.
Furthermore, Pacheco himself has namechecked Jaime Munguia as his preferred option as he seeks to break out in the public eye.
Is Riyadh blockbuster temptation too hard to ignore?
DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel
Save the allure of a hometown show or a stadium fight, most fighters know that the best chance lies in the Middle East these days.
The temptation then of a Riyadh Season show for Diego Pachecho is just as much of a reward for his soaring stock this year.
There's no fear to a bout in Saudi Arabia too, having previously won there in 2019. But is it the right move for him to take next?
Likewise, Hamzah Sheeraz may not be keen to delay plans to face Christian M'billi, particularly with a world title chance at hand.
Ideally, the former would seal the belt in early 2026 and then take on a defence against Pacheco. But the future remains cloudy.
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