By Steven Cummings
WBO #1 super middleweight Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs) turned back a determined Steven “So Cold” Nelson with a unanimous 12-round decision. Nelson (20-1, 16 KOs) suffered his first loss despite pressing the 23-year old Pacheco throughout the fight and testing the youngster with his unpredictable movement.
Official scores were all 117-113 for Pacheco. InTheCorner.Net scored it 115-113 for Pacheco.
Pacheco started very slowly as Nelson bobbed and weaved on the outside, too far for Los Angeles, CA native to reach, even with his long, rangy arms. Nelson would pop in for quick shots in close then quickly pop out or the two would clinch. The much taller Pacheco took several round to get his offense and counter game going.
The turning point came in round four, a round that Nelson may well have won on the cards. But he took a right hand that opened a cut over his right eye which bled the rest of the fight. From that point until the start of round 10, the fight looked more like a contest between a 23-year old phenom and a 36-year old veteran.
Pacheco got into a rhythm of countering Nelson’s awkward movement and landed numerous solid shots over the next several rounds. While Nelson never slowed, he was rocked a few times and his effectiveness didn’t match Pacheco’s power.
The final two rounds saw another shift, as Nelson came out fired up to save the day. Round 11 may have been Nelson’s best of the fight, as he pressed desperately and landed his most telling shots of the night. Round 12 was the same but even more so, as Nelson went for it and got numerous heavy shots in. As well as he did that round, Pacheco wobbled him in the waning seconds but didn’t have time to finish him off.
While this wasn’t the greatest technical match, it was wildly entertaining and both fighters made a great showing. Diego Pacheco could have controlled the action more with his size and reach, but the smothering style of Nelson gave him trouble in the early rounds. Great work for a 23-year old to put in.
Meanwhile, Nelson showed himself to be a formidable opponent in the super middleweight division. That may help him get future fights but it could also make him someone that other fighters want to avoid. “So Cold” is must-see viewing so here’s hoping it’s the latter.
