By Jack Tiernan: New Matchroom signee, bluechip talent Diego Pacheco (17-0, 14 KOs) weighed in at 166.10 lbs, and his opponent Jack Cullen (21-3, 9 KOs) weighed in at 167.8 lbs for their 10 round headliner this Saturday, March 11 at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. DAZN will be streaming the Pacheco-Cullen event live.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is excited to see how the 22-year-old Pacheco looks against the tough European-level Cullen in this fight. Pacheco has future world champion and superstar written all over him, and this will be his opportunity to shine with his main event gig.
Light heavyweight Callum Smith had previously been scheduled to fight in the headliner spot against Pawel Stepien, but he pulled out last week with an undisclosed injury.
Weigh-in results:
- Diego Pacheco 166.10 vs. Jack Cullen 167.8
- Robbie Davies Jr 139.12 vs. Darragh Foley 139.6
- Johnny Fisher 240.12 vs. Alfonso Damiani 233.13
- Peter McGrail 123.8 vs. Nicolas Nahuel Botelli 123.12
- Rhiannon Dixon 134.12 vs. Vicky Wilkinson 132.1
- Aqib Fiaz 134.7 lbs vs. Dean Dodge 132.15
- Paddy Lacey 162.14 lbs vs. James Mccarthy 160.15
- Campbell Hatton 140.5 vs. Michael Gonxhe 136.14
- George Liddard 162.1 vs. Daniel Przewieslik 161.1
“We lost the Callum Smith fight, which is really disappointing, but it’s a really good card. You’ve got to make a decision at that time. You’ve got 16 fighters that have been training for eight,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV.
“I know Jake Cullen is a European-level fighter. We saw him, and he was coasting in that European title fight, and he got hit with a brutal body shot [by Kevin Lele Sadjo in December 2021], and he got stopped [in the sixth round].
“He’s not a world class fighter, but he’s the best opponent of Pacheco’s career so far, and Pacheco is away from home. We know that Cullen has got a lot of support, and he’s very tough; he’s very experienced now, and I like it because all that build-up that you do, and now it’s time.
“Maybe he [Pacheco] unravels on Saturday night. Maybe he gets overwhelmed by the occasion, or maybe the fight goes deep, and Cullen toughs it out. Maybe he’s too experienced for him, but Pacheco can really fight.
“It’s not just the 17 wins that he’s had since the age of 17. It’s the hard sparring with Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol, David Benavidez and all these great fighters. I think Pacheco is a special talent.
“You’ve got world class stars like Diego Pacheco, Peter McGrail; you got really good fights like Robbie Davies vs. Darragh Foley, and Johnny Fisher. Everyone is coming up from Essex, and everyone has bought their tickets.
“You’ve got a really good female fight as well between Vicky Wilkinson and Rhiannon Dixon. I even like Aqib Fiaz against Dean Dodge; that’s a really good fight. You’ve got Campbell Hatton, Paddy Lacey as well, and George Liddard. It’s a good show.
“Those two main fights could really surprise you. I love the Cullen-Pacheco fight because we live in a world of hype, and that’s my fault, but we hype up Diego Pacheco, and we’re going to find out what he’s made of tomorrow night,” said Hearn.
