By Ian S Palmer
Unbeaten Diego Pacheco Los Angeles, California travels to Liverpool, England this Saturday, March 11th to take on Jack Cullen of Bolton, Lancashire for the vacant WBO International Super Middleweight Title. The 10-round bout can be seen live in most nations on DAZN. Pacheco last fought in December when he stopped Ricardo Luna in the second round to retain his WBC United States Super Middleweight Title while Cullen last boxed in April when he earned an eight-round points decision over Vladimir Belujsky.
Liverpool, UK: Diego Pacheco and Jack Cullen weigh in ahead of their WBO International Super Middleweight Title fight tomorrow night.
10 March 2023
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Pacheco is just 21 years old and already owns a perfect record of 17-0 with 14 Ko’s and has boxed 59 rounds since making his pro debut in 2019. He enjoyed a fine amateur career as he made it to the quarterfinals of the 2017 USA Youth National Championships and 2018 World Youth Championships, won the 2018 USA Youth Open and reached the final of the 2018 USA Western Regional Final and the semifinals of the 2017 USA Jr Olympics.
At 6-feet-4-inches tall he’s got great height for a super middleweight and also owns a 79-inch reach. He has a lot of power in his punches with a current knockout ratio of 82.4 per cent and has won his last six fights by stoppage. Pacheco’s biggest pro wins to date have come over Oscar Riojas, Juan Antonio Mendez, Rodolfo Gomez Jr, Lucas de Abreu, Raul Ortega and Enrique Collazo. Just one of his 17 opponents have entered the ring with a losing record.
The 29-year-old Cullen is also pretty tall for the 168-lb division as he’s 6-feet-3-inches with an unlisted reach which puts him just an inch shorter than Pacheco. He makes the ring walk with a record of 21-3-1 with 9 Ko’s and has boxed 129 rounds since making his pro debut in 2016. Cullen has little in the way of power as his current knockout ratio stands at just 36 per cent and he’s gone five fights without a stoppage as he last KO came in March, 2020 when he halted Thomas Reynoso in the second round.
Cullen has been stopped in all three of his losses as Roy Sheahan halted him in the first round in 2018, Felix Cash took care of him in eight rounds in 2019 in a shot at the Commonwealth Middleweight Title and Kevin Lele Sadjo halted him in six rounds in 2021 in a shot at the vacant European Super Middleweight Belt. Cullen’s lone draw was a 10-round affair with Zak Chelli in 2020.
In July, 2021 Cullen captured the vacant IBF Super Middleweight Crown with a 10round unanimous decision over Avni Yildirim and he toppled Jack Sellars in 2019 for the vacant British Middleweight Title. Twelve of Cullen’s 25 opponents entered the ring with losing records and he’s never fought outside of the British Isles as a pro.
Prediction…
Cullen may come close to matching Pacheco in height but that’s about as far as it goes. He comes second best in skills and power and just doesn’t have enough pop in his punches to keep the youngster at bay. It might not be as easy at it appears on paper, but Pacheco should come out of this road trip with a win by stoppage.
