Trainer Jose Benavidez Sr. says his fighter Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) isn’t overlooking Steven Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) in their 12-round headliner this Saturday, January 25th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Chelsea Ballroom, in Las Vegas. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
(Credit: Matchroom Boxing)
Jose Sr. says they could have fought anyone, but they wanted Nelson, 36, who isn’t exactly young for a nine-year pro. He got a late start in the pro ranks due to his long amateur career, but he’s got the talent to potentially win this fight if he can get to the 23-year-old Pacheco’s chin. We’ve seen Diego have a couple of close calls.
On the undercard, lightweight contender Andy Cruz will be fighting Omar Salcido in a 10 round fight. Cruz is looking to challenge WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson for his belt.
No Overlooking Nelson
“They don’t want to face a fighter like Diego Pacheco. Canelo has everything to lose and nothing to gain,” said Jose Benavidez Sr. to Sean Zittel about Canelo Alvarez not likely to ever agree to fight Diego Pacheco.
“That’s never going to happen because Canelo wants to fight fighters that come to you. Fighters that haven’t been looking that impressive. Diego Pacheco has good straight punches. He’s young with good legs and power,” said Jose Sr.
“He’s a good fighter. He’s strong and relies on his power. That’s why we’re not underestimating Steven Nelson. We’re taking him very serious because he wants the same thing Diego Pacheco wants. He wants to beat us to get the big fights. We want to beat him to get the big fights. It’s going to be very entertaining for me and for the people.
“We were trying to do an eliminator with Christian Mbilli. We signed the paper, and he said, ‘No, he wants to do another fight.’ We’re ready. These are the fights that are going to get us there. The dangerous fights to prove to the people.
“We’re proving ourselves and focusing on Steven Nelson. He’s a very dangerous fighter. After that, we’ll look at our options. Right now, we’re locked in 100% for Steve Nelson.,” said Benavidez Sr.
