Super middleweight Diego Pacheco passed another test on Saturday, although his 12-round unanimous decision victory over Steven Nelson wasn’t easy. With the win, a fight with Edgar Berlanga might now be closer than ever.

The 23-year-old Pacheco saw the step-up bout highlight both features of his fighting style. Pacheco has an excellent ability to catch rhythm and control the pace in the middle rounds. Pacheco does start slow, though, and that helped Nelson, a 36-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, succeed in the early rounds. 

The grueling bout prompted Berlanga to tweet: “I’ma get that young boy a big pay day and a big ass whooping. You only getting paid 200k a fight – sheesh.” 

“That is a fight I have been open to making for a long time now,” Pacheco, 23-0 (18 KOs), said of Berlanga at the post-fight press conference. “Edgar Berlanga, if you are hearing this, we can run it next or whenever.”

Pacheco referenced words that his trainer, Jose Benavidez Snr, had told him before the fight: If he didn’t knock Nelson out, a lot of fighters would call him out. Pacheco found it funny how his coach’s words came true. 

Berlanga currently is rumored to return in March, with a tentative date of March 8 in Puerto Rico being floated. 

Eddie Hearn, the chairman of Matchroom Boxing, promoter of both Pacheco and Berlanga, was excited at the prospect of a potential fight between the two.

“For me, it is the first time I have heard Edgar Berlanga talk about that fight, which is music to our ears,” Hearn said at the post-fight press conference. “I think now it is just showing how Diego’s star and profile is rising.”

In recent memory, other fighters have belittled Pacheco, asking who he is. Not anymore. 

“Now people are calling him out,” Hearn said. “Edgar Berlanga is one of the biggest names in the division and he is calling out Diego Pacheco. That is fantastic, and it is a really good fight.”

Benavidez was eager to hear about the potential fights that could be made for Pacheco after his win over Nelson, 20-1 (16 KOs). The trainer, who will be a part of another main event this week in Las Vegas with one of his fighting sons, light heavyweight contender David Benavidez, was pleased with the performance.

“It was a great fight,” Benavidez said. “I am very satisfied with the work he did … this fight is going to take us to another level, keep getting better and the sky’s the limit.”

Benavidez also referenced Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who holds the WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles. Pacheco is currently ranked No. 1 by the WBO in the division. However, Benavidez recalled how David long sought a fight with Alvarez and eventually moved up to light heavyweight for bigger opportunities. The trainer doubts that Alvarez will face Pacheco.

“Canelo would never take a fight with Diego Pacheco,” Benavidez said.

The performance showed various elements of Pacheco’s development. He is able to assess an opponent early and adjust. But late in the fight, Pacheco still showed he is a developing fighter. When Nelson got reckless, Pacheco took some shots. Pacheco was even looking at the clock to see how much time was left in the final round. 

“I had to be locked in for the full 12 rounds,” Pacheco said. “I couldn’t lose focus at all.”