Darius Fulghum springs the upset on Diego Pacheco

Darius Fulghum wheeled a Trojan Horse into The War Grounds on Saturday in Carson, California, and sprung a major upset on Diego Pacheco in a super middleweight main event.

Fulghum was selected to be a credible – but beatable – opponent for Los Angeles’ Pacheco in what was essentially meant to be a hometown showcase. Instead, Pacheco, 26-1 (19 KOs), was saddled with his first career loss when the scores were announced 115-112 (twice), 114-113 for Houston’s Fulghum, 16-1-1 (13 KOs).

“I don’t think you understand what I had to go through in this fight,” Fulghum said after the fight. “I got this uniform on, King of Hearts. Man, I always say I got the most heart in boxing. I want to win so bad it’s crazy. I’m just thankful they gave me the opportunity to come in and do my thing.”

Pacheco was favored and had finally seemed to find a groove with new trainer and Hall of Fame fighter Buddy McGirt in a dominant win over Immanuwel Aleem in July. So it was a surprise when Fulghum took the fight to the A-side right away and Pacheco had no answer.

Fulghum showed superior timing and control of distance, scoring at midrange and inside. In the third, he opened a cut under the right eye of Pacheco with a sharp left hand.

Pacheco landed big right hands in the fourth and sixth, but none of it fazed his opponent. Fulghum would eat Pacheco’s power and close the gap, denying the long-limbed Angeleno any leverage. Pacheco was clearly uncomfortable, and the physicality of Fulghum – a former wrestler – on the interior only seemed to flummox the hometown fighter even more.

Fulghum was boxing and countering cleanly in the eighth when Pacheco broke through with a pair of right hands late. It was a moment that likely won Pacheco the round – and could have been a momentum-shifter. But Fulghum clinched, smothered and kept it moving. His utter disinterest in his opponent’s power seemed to frustrate Pacheco as much as anything else.

Fulghum was deducted a point in the ninth for punching in the back of the head, as Pacheco routinely dipped away from Fulghum’s offense. Yet again, another potential game-changer.

But Fulghum wouldn’t allow anyone to take the moment from him. In the 10th, he got the better of a big exchange, and then Fulghum came back with a right hand and a jab before slipping Pacheco’s return fire.

In the 12th, Pacheco finally lined up a few power right hands that scoring officials couldn’t ignore – but none of them hurt or even backed up Fulghum. And when Fulghum blasted his own right hand on Pacheco’s cheek moments later, it was another example of the generalship he demonstrated all night, never allowing the hometown fighter or his loyal followers to sway the officials.