YouTube Theater, Inglewood – In a super middleweight scrap, Diego Pacheco (20-0, 17 KOs) was tested and overcame some tough moments to knock Marcelo Coceres (32-6-1, 18 KOs) out in the ninth round.
Pacheco was seeing action for the third time in 2023. In February, he traveled to the Echo Arena in London and knocked out Jack Cullen in four rounds. He returned in July to stop Manuel Gallegos in four rounds in Mexico.
Coceres is best known for being on the brink of shocking then WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders in 2019, but he was stopped in the eleventh round. Coceres then created drama in 2021, when he rocked and dropped Edgar Berlanga in the ninth of their ten round battle.
When the fight began, Pacheco was controlling the action with a solid jab. Coceres was having a lot of trouble getting pas the jab. Pacheco was also following that jab with a heavy right hand. Coceres was starting to go to the body, in the third, with the hope of slowing Pacheco down. Coceres was starting to close the range but eating some big punches for his trouble.
In the fourth, Coceres continued to land to the body and followed with head shots. Pacheco was taking the punches well and stuck to his jab. There was a clash of heads that opened up a small cut on the left cheek of Pacheco. At the start of the fifth, Coceres landed two solid left hands that Pacheco took well. Pacheco stuck to his jab, but got tagged with another left hand. Coceres then charged in with a heavy left that rocked the head of Pacheco, who continued to jab and circle the ring.
During the sixth, Pacheco created a lot of distance and controlled the round with his jab. Coceres had his moments with the left hand. In the seventh, Coceres was pressing the action by going to the body and throwing punches upstairs. There was a second clash of heads that opened up a cut on the lip of Pacheco.
The eight started with Coceres landing solid punches to the head and body of Pacheco. They were starting to trade as Pacheco began to unload with power punches and seemed to stun Coceres with hard hooks. As the round went on, Pacheco was rocking Coceres with accurate hooks. In the ninth, Coceres seemed to be very tired even when the round began. He was moving in a sluggish manner and taking deep breaths. As they were exchanging at the end of the round, Pacheco connected with a big uppercut that sent Coceres down for the full count.