Diego Pacheco, since climbing the super-middleweight rankings, has appeared cautious about facing top contenders. Instead of directly pursuing a fight with Canelo Alvarez, Pacheco has chosen a different, more patient approach.
It appeared the Californian was ready to take a significant step up in competition for the WBC interim title and a mandatory challenger position. However, reports indicate that Pacheco withdrew the day before the scheduled purse bids.
Pacheco, with a record of 23-0 (18 KOs), previously defeated Steven Nelson in January in a matchup of undefeated super-middleweights. This fight was anticipated to be the start of a breakthrough year for the young boxer. News then emerged about purse bids being called for a fight between Pacheco and the highly-regarded Christian Mbilli, 28-0 (23 KOs), generating excitement among fans.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed that Diego Pacheco has pulled out of the fight, leading to the cancellation of the purse bids.
Dan Rafael reports that Pacheco will now likely face Trevor McCumby, 28-1 (21 KOs) from Illinois, on a Matchroom Boxing event this summer. McCumby is coming off a notable performance against Caleb Plant in September, where he suffered his first defeat via a ninth-round stoppage.
As for Mbilli, WBC #3 ranked Osleys Iglesias seems to be pursuing an IBF title path against Kevin Lele Sadjo. This means the next available contender for Mbilli is the undefeated WBC #4, Luka Plantic, 11-0 (9 KOs). Plantic is expected to be offered the fight against Mbilli for the WBC interim title soon.
