By Vince D’Writer: Undefeated contender Diego Pacheco is a rising star in the super-middleweight division, and tonight he will go for win number nineteen as he faces Manuel Gallegos (19-1-1, 16 KOs) in the Matchroom headliner at Cintermex in Monterrey, Mexico at 8 p.m. ET/1a.m. BST streaming live on DAZN.
(Photo credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom or Melina Pizano/Matchroom)
The 22-year-old Pacheco will be headlining his second show in a row. He’s looking forward to his matchup with Gallegos because he views him as an opponent that’s experienced, tough, and durable.
Four months ago, Pacheco was the Matchroom Boxing headliner in an event that took place in Liverpool, England. Back in March 2023, the 6’4″ Pacheco faced another tall 168-pounder in the 6’3″ Jack Cullen.
Pacheco went through the feeling-out process during the course of the opening round. In the final minute of round 2, Pacheco was able to establish the proper range as he landed a big right hand to the side of Cullen’s head.
In the third round of the bout, Pacheco was able to land eye-catching combinations on multiple occasions. Early in the fourth round of the fight, Pacheco landed a big right hand that wobbled his opponent’s legs.
Seconds later, Pacheco landed a devastating left hook to the body that sent Cullen down to the canvas. Cullen was in obvious pain, but he managed to rise to his feet at the count of eight. As the fight continued, Pacheco landed a big right hand that sent Jack Cullen back down to the canvas as the referee stepped in to put a halt to the contest.
Now the #3 ranked WBO contender Diego Pacheco (18-0, 15 KOs) is ready to showcase his skills against a very tough opponent. Pacheco spars with the interim WBC super-middleweight titlist David Benavidez on a regular basis, and he feels as though the work he puts in with Benavidez is helping him grow and excel to the next level.
Pacheco’s July 7th opponent Manuel Gallegos started his professional career with seventeen wins in a row. He lost his first fight on Halloween night 2020 to Oziel Santoyo by way of unanimous decision.
Gallegos would bounce back with two straight victories, but in February 2023, his match with Richard Vansiclen ended as a draw.
Gallegos is aware of the fact that he has a big challenge ahead of him on Friday night. He’s also aware of the fact that if he can pull off the upset, it will definitely have his career trending in the right direction.
“It’s a really tough opponent that I’m facing. It’s a dream to be on a card of this magnitude and even more so to be fighting as a main event fighter,” Gallegos said. “I really hope that this opportunity will give me more opportunities to get better fights down the line and to push on to get a world title shot.”
The 168-pound division is starting to mirror the lighter divisions as the weight class is starting to develop depth in regards to high-level fighters. Diego Pacheco wants to be known as one of the stars at 168, and he plans on doing it by showcasing his skills on Friday night.
“I’ll look good; you know I’ll outbox this guy. I will use my skills against him to get him frustrated, and then once I find those openings, I’ll hit him with my hardest shots, and I don’t think he will be able to take them.”
