Pacheco stops Aleem in 11th round to retain WBC Silver, WBO International titles

CARSON, Calif.  — Diego Pacheco delivered the performance of his career Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park, stopping Immanuwel Aleem in the 11th round to retain the WBC Silver and WBO International super-middleweight titles in front of a crowd that was firmly behind him from the opening bell.

Pacheco and Aleem traded rounds of action before the referee stepped in at 2:32 of round 11, waving off the fight after a sustained flurry from Pacheco left Aleem unable to answer back.

Aleem came out of the gate aggressive in the first round, but Pacheco stayed patient, countering effectively and closing the round with sharp combinations that set the tone for the rest of the night. By the second round, the crowd was already chanting Pacheco's name as his jab began finding a home and Aleem shifted into a more defensive posture. It was in that stretch that Pacheco's straight left started to become the story of the fight, a punch that would land consistently all night and set up nearly everything else he did.

Through the middle rounds, Pacheco's size and reach became a persistent problem for Aleem. Aleem's corner could be seen and heard urging him to let his hands go and counter, but the length advantage kept Pacheco in control, slipping punches through the middle and finding range whenever he wanted it. An uppercut in the fifth round drew one of the loudest reactions of the night from the crowd, a preview of the finishing punch that would define the fight's final act.

Aleem finally found some traction in round seven, working his way inside after waiting patiently for the opening. He showed real toughness in that round, absorbing a strong uppercut that backed him into the ropes late but firing back before the bell. The two men leaned on each other more in round eight as fatigue set in, though Aleem appeared to be tiring at a faster rate even as he continued to smother Pacheco after every exchange. Pacheco continued picking his spots, landing another uppercut and a left hook to the body in that round that made the crowd at the war grounds react as if they were the ones who had just received the gut punch.

The body work became the deciding factor from there. Pacheco's shots to the midsection in round nine had Aleem visibly hurt, the kind of punishment that would have put most fighters down, but Aleem kept pressing forward and throwing back. Round 10 was brutal for Aleem, who absorbed heavy uppercuts and body shots but somehow stayed on his feet. The pounding was enough that the fight's doctor was brought in to check on him once the round ended, after the referee raised concerns. The doctor cleared him to continue, giving Aleem the chance to answer the bell one more time.

He couldn't survive round 11. Pacheco unloaded a fury of punches to the head that left the referee no choice but to step in, sending the Dignity Health Sports Park crowd into a roar for the hometown fighter.

Afterward, promoter Eddie Hearn floated a future matchup between Pacheco and Jaime Munguía at the same venue, either in November or next spring. Pacheco said he'd welcome the fight, calling Munguía someone he has looked up to.

Pacheco is now 26-0 with the kind of finish that puts the division on notice. If he and Hearn get their way, Munguía might be next up to find out just how heavy that left hand really is.