It’s not often that you see the names “Diego Pacheco” and “Vasiliy Lomachenko” in the same sentence.
Yet, they are the two from whom Joel Irirate draws the most inspiration.
The unbeaten welterweight plans to channel the two uniquely different fighters in his next outing. Iriarte will take on Eduardo Hernandez Trejo in an eight-round welterweight bout on Saturday at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California.
Their bout comes in supporting capacity on a DAZN show featuring unified strawweight champion Oscar Collazo and undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora in separate bouts.
Iriarte, 8-0 (7 KOs) and Pacheco, 24-0 (18 KOs), are close friends, which explains the connection as it relates to his own fighting style and spirit.
Pacheco is awaiting his first shot at a title, but has fought tough contenders in his development. Iriarte has trained with Pacheco and has astutely observed his career progress.
“The way Diego was brought up is something we all look up to,” Iriarte told BoxingScene.
Then there is Ukraine’s Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and retired former three-division titlist who famously won a world title in his third fight.
“I also look at how [Vasiliy] Lomachenko was brought up,” noted Iriarte. “He went up the ranks pretty quickly. I feel it is important to fight those big fights and test yourself.”
Iriarte feels he is doing a lot for the sport when it comes to up-and-coming fighters.
The 22-year-old from Bakerfield, California turned professional in 2024 and fought five times that year. He will fight for the fourth time this year, with ambitions of potentially fighting again before the year ends.
“I want to move as fast as my body will allow me,” Iriarte said. “I am listening to my team and ready for whatever.”
Iriarte heard the final bell for the first time in his career in his last fight. Before his fight against Kevin Johnson, Iriarte - a national amateur champion - had won seven straight fights by way of knockout, never making it to the third round.
Hernandez, 8-4 (5 KOs), enters this weekend’s contest on a two-fight losing streak.
He dropped a majority decision to Amado Vargas in March. That was followed by a loss to recent Sheer Sports signee David Romero in June (Iriarte is also signed to Sheer Sports management).
Notably, Hernandez, a 28-year-old from Tijuana, Mexico, has never been stopped as a professional and has gone 49 rounds.
Iriarte, in contrast, has gone only 18 rounds, most of which came in his last fight. Iriarte credits his fight with Johnson for valuable experience.
“It is super important as I climb the ranks, even if I am moving fast, going eight rounds was a game-changer for me,” Iriarte said. “That is where I give my team credit, they are getting guys with different styles that give me different looks when I fight them.”
Iriarte believes next year will be the year he will leap up in terms of the competition he faces.
“I am looking for those big fights in 2026,” Iriarte said. “I want to fight the guys in the top-10 and top-15.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
