Boxing
Was Pacheco right to snub world-title shot before Aleem dance?
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Diego Pacheco can take one major step towards a super-middleweight world title when he faces Immanuwel Aleem tonight.
But for the star's fans and critics, there are questions over whether he should have contested a bout for a major strap already.
Highly ranked with several sanctioning bodies, Pacheco was in the mix for both the WBC and WBO belts in the past half-year.
Instead, failed bouts with Christian M'billi and Hamzah Sheeraz means he seems to have taken a longer route to the summit.
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Pacheco has pushed back on these ideas already, sticking to his guns that this was the right course of action - but is he right?
DAZN News considers if the talented fighter made the right call to skip on a bout that could have catapulted him to the top.
What titles was Pacheco up for?
After Terence Crawford announced plans to retire last year, Pacheco was firmly in the mix for his various scattered crowns.
Having taken wide decision wins over Kévin Lele Sadjo and Trevor McCumby to wrap up the year, the star had high stock.
Yet he passed on a WBC eliminator with M'billi, who latter reaped the big benefits of Crawford's decision to quit cold turkey.
Then, in January, Pacheco withdraw from purse discussions over an additional bout with Sheeraz for the vacant WBO strap.
It means he fights for the first time in 2026 against Aleem with little on the line in terms of silverware to contest for instead.
What has Pacheco said about it?
Pacheco previously suggested he passed on M'billi due to a lack of a suitable purse - but he has been more open since then.
Having been working with David Benavidez and his team, the star split from them last year and noted it played a part for him.
(Matchroom Boxing)
"When fights like that are offered, and you don't have the backing, you feel like you're getting pressured," he told The Ring.
"It's a little hard. I felt like I was being set up to lose. But I feel like it lit that fire up under me again. I want the biggest fights."
Pacheco's determination is plain to see - and victory over Aleem, at the very least, will put his name back into conversations.
Is Aleem a banana-skin to the star?
Of course, Pacheco must get the win first - but even as the overwhelming favourite, he will still be wary of his rival's threat.
A 22-4-3 record suggests Aleem is not the quality opponent typically seen as a springboard to the summit of the division.
But he went the distance with Lester Martinez in March during a WBC interim bout, and has banked plenty of rounds to show.
That will have pricked up Pacheco's ears, and the American will be keen to ensure he is not drawn into a lengthy dogfight.
Come out on top, and his place as a contender will be reaffirmed. Slip up however, and the price could be a hefty one to pay.
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