Questions are mounting over Eddie Hearn’s matchmaking for Diego Pacheco following his latest victory. Critics, led by former champion Tim Bradley, are demanding the young prospect stops facing limited opposition and gets in the ring with a legitimate threat to prove his worth.
Pacheco got the job done against Immanuwel Aleem. But it wasn’t convincing enough. He showed patience and finished the fight, yet he got hit far too often by a man not known for his power. That’s the problem. If Aleem can land cleanly, what happens when Pacheco steps in with a real monster? The blueprint to beat him is already out there. The Kevin Lele Sadjo fight showed he crumbles when the action gets physical and the pressure is on. This latest win answered none of those questions.
Now, the heat is on Hearn. Tim Bradley didn’t hold back, calling for Pacheco to face the division’s best immediately. He said: ““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,””
That brutal assessment puts the pressure squarely on Matchroom. Pacheco is talking about Canelo and Munguia, and Hearn has floated the Munguia name as well. But that smells like a cash-out fight, not a real test. Bradley laid out the fights that fans, and experts, want to see. He said: ““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.””
Fights against Edgar Berlanga, Lester Martinez, or the dangerous Osleys Iglesias would prove Pacheco is for real. If Hearn dodges them for a big payday against a name like Munguia, the accusations will only get louder. Is he building a champion, or is he protecting a flawed investment before he gets exposed?
