Diego Pacheco vs Immanuwel Aleem Preview: Can 'The Chosen One' Move One Step Closer to a World Title?

Diego Pacheco has emerged as one of boxing's brightest young super middleweight contenders. Since turning professional, the unbeaten 25-year-old has steadily built his résumé while continuing to develop his skillset. With the backing of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, another victory could move Pacheco one step closer to a world title opportunity.

Since turning professional at the age of 17, the Los Angeles native has quietly established himself as one of boxing's best-kept secrets. He now holds a perfect record of 25-0 with 18 knockouts and has continued to develop with every outing.

Over the past few years, Pacheco has stepped up in competition and, although the knockouts have become less frequent, he has shown there is much more to his game than just explosive finishes. He has demonstrated an excellent boxing IQ while establishing a sharp and accurate jab, a key weapon for a 6ft 4in super middleweight.

As Pacheco has climbed the rankings, many of the questions surrounding him have gradually been answered. That included his most recent outing against Kevin Lele Sadjo, where he was dropped for the first time in his professional career. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old recovered well, controlled the remainder of the fight and showed another side to his game. Even so, some observers still wonder whether he can produce those same performances when the stakes become even higher at world title level.

Immanuwel Aleem will be the man standing in the opposite corner this weekend, and the 32-year-old enters the fight with little to no pressure on his shoulders as many appear to be overlooking the experienced American veteran.

The Richmond, Virginia native has shared the ring with several highly ranked super middleweights and captured the WBC Silver middleweight title in 2017 with a sixth-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Ievgen Khytrov, arguably the biggest victory of his professional career.

Pacheco should expect a tough, gruelling fight as Aleem applies relentless pressure, is physically imposing on the inside and possesses proven durability, having only been stopped once in his four professional defeats.

With Pacheco holding a seven-inch height advantage and a nine-inch reach advantage, he will look to keep Aleem behind his jab and control the fight from range. Aleem, meanwhile, will be looking to close the distance and make the contest as difficult and awkward as possible for the young contender.

A win for Pacheco this weekend would likely move him into a favourable position for a world title shot. He is already highly ranked by all four major governing bodies and, with the backing of Matchroom Boxing, an impressive performance could see him challenging for world honours before the end of the year.

Pacheco insists, however, that his full focus remains on Aleem before thinking about championship opportunities.

"I'm not looking past this Saturday. We're looking forward to this fight, but we have our eyes set on the bigger picture, and that's becoming a world champion."

The unbeaten contender also believes he has already proven he belongs among the elite at 168lbs.

"I feel like I'm one of the best fighters in the division for sure. Hopefully Matchroom and Sheer Sports can figure out how they can get me this world title fight."

In the co-main event, Cuban amateur sensation Andy Cruz returns to the ring against late replacement Abraham Montoya in another fight with important implications for the lightweight division.

When Cruz turned professional in 2023, expectations were incredibly high following one of the most decorated amateur careers in recent boxing history. Olympic gold, three world championships and two Pan American Games gold medals established him as one of the sport's most exciting prospects.

However, this weekend he returns following the first defeat of his professional career, a close majority decision loss to Raymond Muratalla for the IBF lightweight world title. There are still questions surrounding how well he has adapted to the professional ranks and whether he is physically suited to competing at 135 pounds.

Despite the setback, Cruz insists he has taken valuable lessons from the defeat and is focused solely on delivering a statement performance this weekend.

"I have learned something with every fight whether I win or lose. My focus right now is on Saturday and to give a great show against a fighter like Montoya."

His opponent, Montoya, is a durable Mexican veteran who is no stranger to taking on difficult assignments. He has never been stopped and has built plenty of experience against quality opposition. The 31-year-old also enters the contest full of confidence after upsetting the previously unbeaten Antonio Perez and will be hoping to repeat that feat against Cruz.

Montoya also revealed he believes Cruz deserved the decision against Muratalla and admitted he had no hesitation in accepting the opportunity when the call came.

"I saw that last fight between Andy and Muratalla, and I do believe that he won that fight, so being able to face him is a blessing. As soon as I got the call, my team immediately accepted."

While there are no world titles on the line, Matchroom Boxing's California card features two intriguing contests that could have significant implications for both the super middleweight and lightweight divisions.