Photos Melinza Pizano/Matchroom
The first major boxing fight of the year in Sin City took place Saturday night as number one rated super middleweight Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs), of Los Angeles and Steven “So Cold” Nelson (20-1, 16 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska squared off at the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in headlining live on DAZN.
In what was a solid outing by the 23 year old Pacheco in earning the unanimous decision.
Starting off slow, the taller Pacheco sized up pawing the jab with Nelson lurking in the opening round. Pacheco kept at it sticking the jab in the second and keeping his distance but late in the round Nelson closed strong connecting with a hard right.The pace remained the same, continuing to box in the third, Pacheco stayed on task fighting smart with Nelson pressing the action looking for the fight. An overhand right by Nelson connected in the fourth as Pacheco continued working off the jab and caught Nelson with a hard right coming in as a cut opened up on Nelson's left eye as he was starting to bleed.
The momentum changed heading into the fifth with Pacheco pressing now as Nelson was bleeding badly from his cut on the left eye. Starting to display some flash, Pacheco let his hands go and mixed it up with Nelson on the receiving end of the shots. The offense began to pick up from Pacheco in the seventh as he connected Nelson with sharp combinations and countered effectively inside as the South Central Los Angeles fighter had his best moment of the fight thus far. Fighting with poise and in control, Pacheco ripped Nelson with a hard right hand in the eighth, Nelson began to bleed more as Pacheco kept targeting upstairs as the Nebraska fighter's cut bled profusely.
Having his way in the ninth, Pacheco displayed the ring generalship as he was in control of Nelson. The cut appeared to be bothering Nelson as it was all Pacheco late in the fight. Pacheco boldly connected Nelson with a power shot in the tenth and continued to target the cut on the eye as Pacheco had his way. Well on his way to the victory, Pacheco displayed offense in the championship rounds as he pumped the jab and followed up with big shots connecting Nelson effectively. The final round saw action as Pacheco traded away in the center. Nelson sensing the urgency was looking for that big shot for the knockout but Pacheco stood in the pocket mixing it up as Pacheco suffered a slight cut in closing.
After completing twelve rounds all three judges scored the bout 117-111 for Pacheco.
In the evening’s co-feature bout, Cuban Olympic gold medalist, undefeated lightweight Andy Cruz (5-0, 2 KO’s) was sharp in his performance winning a unanimous decision over a very tough Omar Salcido (20-2, 14 KO’s) of Sonora, Mexico.
Shooting jab working patiently, Cruz dictated from the start as Salcido attempted to work his way, Salcido snuck in a low blow. In the second, the Cuban circled the ring and continued to box with Salcido still trying to crack his way through on the receiving end. Salcido digged to the body to start the third round shortly after connecting with a right hand, Cruz kept his distance and continued to box connecting with a solid combination and pressing to close the round. Jabbing effectively in the fourth, Salcido's right eye appeared to be swelling as Cruz kept boxing picking up the pace and fire away combinations. Mixing it up in the pocket in the fifth, Cruz and Salcido let their hands go, the Mexican pressed and followed up with the signature left hook to the body.
In the sixth, Cruz paced himself as he kept shooting the jab, it was Salcido stalking and trying to make a fight out of it but Cruz stayed disciplined boxing. A hard right hand by Cruz to begin the seventh rocked Salcido but that did not keep him from pressing, the former decorated amateur Cruz boxed and countered effectively. Countering effectively late in the fight, Cruz had an answer for everything Salcido brought at him as there was no questioning the Mexican fighters bravado. Well on his way to victory, Cruz was effective boxing and Salcido connected with a low blow as the referee Raul Caiz Jr. asked for the punches to be picked up. Crzu finishes strong as he pounded away, Salcido held on for dear life and survived making it to the final bell.
All three judges score the bout 99-91, 98-92, and 98-92.
Pomona, California’s super lightweight Ernesto "Tito" Mercado (17-0, 16 KO’s) added former world champion Jose "Sniper" Pedraza (29-7-1, 14 KO’s) of Caguas, Puerto Rico to his resume by scoring a fourth round stoppage.
Mercado worked early and was on the offensive from the opening bell staying on top of Pedraza. Showing poise and boxing effectively, Mercado worked off the jab in the third and followed up with solid shots backing the veteran Pedraza. A vicious one-two by Mercado floored Pedraza on his back as the referee Robert Hoyle called a halt to the bout at 2:08 of the fourth.
Following the fight, Pedraza called out all the names including current WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson who was seated ringside.
Rubacalva and Mercado Battle Draw
Opening up the DAZN card, super lightweights Leonard Rubacalva (9-0-1, 3 KO’s) of Jalisco, Mexico and Israel Mercado (11-1-2, 7 KO’s) of Pomona, California kicked things off in battling it out to an eight round draw.
The California fighter Rubacalva appeared to have scored the early knockdown in the first round. However it was not ruled a knockdown prompting Rubacalva's trainer Robert Garcia to protest the ruling. Upon reviewing by the commission, the slip was overuled to a knockdown.
Rubacalva and Mercado went at it for the duration of the fight in what was a tense bout in going the distance eight rounds. After completing the eight rounds, the judges scored the bout 76-74 for Mercado but were overuled by the other two judges scoring the bout 75-75 as the early knockdown was a factor in the long run.
Other Bouts
Making his pro debut, India’s Nishant Dev (1-0) scored a first round knockout over Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) of Modesto, California. A combination early in the first by Dev floored Wiggins as he got up and continued to fight. Dev sent Wiggins to the ground a second time as the fight continued, the end came as Wiggins appeared to be down a third time forcing the referee Robert Hoyle to stop the fight at 2:48 of the first.
Brooklyn’s Harley Medero’s (8-0, 7 KO’s) knocked out Arturo Isla (5-3-1, 4 KO’s) of Monterrey Mexico. The lightweight prospect finished off Isla with a brutal left and right combination as the Mexican hit the canvas forcing the referee Raul Caiz Jr. to immediately waive the bout at 1:27 of the third.
In the opening bout from the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, super featherweight Zaquin Moses (1-0) of Newark, New Jersey disposed of Cancun, Mexico’s Mario Garcia (3-1-1, 3 KO’s) in one round. The southpaw Moses boxed beautifully as connected with a solid jab and chopped down Garcia with straight lefts. Garcia could not continue as he appeared to have suffered an arm injury but that did not make the difference. The bout was stopped at the end of the first round.
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