Diego Pacheco Stops Immanuwel Aleem in Round 11

Diego Pacheco restored some of the momentum which had begun to desert his career by stopping Immanuwel Aleem in the 11th round at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The unbeaten Los Angeles super-middleweight dropped Aleem twice in the penultimate round before the referee intervened, preserving Pacheco’s perfect record and taking it to 26 victories, with 19 inside the distance. He also retained his WBC Silver championship and added the WBO International belt to his collection, although neither trinket mattered as much as the manner of the victory.

Pacheco had arrived under rather more scrutiny than usually accompanies an unbeaten 25-year-old. His unanimous decision over Kevin Lele Sadjo in December had included the first knockdown of his professional career and raised questions about whether his progress was stalling. Aleem, meanwhile, had lost clearly to Lester Martinez in March and entered with a record of 22-4-3, but possessed enough experience and resilience to provide a worthwhile examination.

At 6ft 4in and with a substantial advantage in reach, Pacheco had no reason to complicate matters. He established the jab early, held Aleem at the end of his punches and followed with the right hand whenever the challenger attempted to move within range. Aleem circled, changed direction and tried to create openings by making Pacheco lead, but he struggled to cross the distance without being met.

Pacheco was not frantic. He seldom is. His work was patient and measured, sometimes almost too patient for those expecting a spectacular homecoming, but there was method behind it. The jab repeatedly disturbed Aleem’s balance, while hooks and uppercuts were introduced whenever the shorter man remained in the pocket.

Aleem showed admirable durability but little capacity to alter the course of the contest. He attempted to force the pace in the sixth round and enjoyed one of his better passages when he moved forward behind combinations. Pacheco responded without alarm, regained his preferred distance and resumed the steady accumulation of punishment.

The difference in physical dimensions became increasingly pronounced as the rounds passed. Aleem had to take risks merely to reach punching range, while Pacheco could score without placing himself in comparable danger. Whenever Aleem paused after an attack, Pacheco answered with the heavier and cleaner blows.

There were moments when Pacheco might have increased the tempo sooner. Aleem was being beaten comprehensively but remained sufficiently comfortable to survive, largely because the favourite did not always follow his successful right hands with the urgency demanded of a genuine finisher. It was effective boxing, though not always compelling theatre. One suspects the belts were more impressed than the crowd.

By the later rounds, however, Aleem’s resistance had become increasingly passive. His movement had slowed, his replies were less frequent, and Pacheco was able to set his feet without fearing much in return. The jab had done its work, creating the openings for the heavier blows which eventually brought the contest to its conclusion.

The finish came in the 11th. Pacheco’s sustained combinations finally overwhelmed Aleem, who was sent to the canvas twice as the accumulated punishment caught up with him. After the second knockdown, the referee decided that further resistance would serve no useful purpose and halted the fight.

It was the sort of result Pacheco required. A routine points victory over an opponent coming off a defeat would have done little to advance his standing in a division containing several younger and more fashionable contenders. Stopping a tough man who had previously gone the distance with accomplished opposition was considerably more persuasive.

Pacheco remains a work in progress rather than the finished article. His height, jab, composure and punching power give him obvious advantages, but there are still periods when his output drops and he appears content to admire his own accuracy. Against the leading super-middleweights, such pauses may prove expensive.

This time, though, he did what was required. Aleem was brave, durable and thoroughly outgunned. Pacheco controlled the fight, broke him down and removed the judges from the proceedings before they could make themselves unnecessarily important.