Trainer (and former two-division champ) Buddy McGirt believes his new charge, Diego Pacheco, has only begun to tap into his potential as the pair begin their partnership on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, where Pacheco faces Immanuwel Aleem live worldwide on DAZN. Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs) enters the bout after signing a new promotional agreement with Matchroom. The Los Angeles native returns to the venue known as the War Grounds for the second time after stopping Maciej Sulecki there in 2024. Aleem (22-4-3, 14 KOs) is seeking the biggest victory of his career and looks to rebound from a March defeat to Lester Martinez in a bout for the interim WBC title.
McGirt, who has trained many of boxing's biggest stars, completed his first training camp with Pacheco and believes the 25-year old possesses untapped abilities as he continues pursuing a world title opportunity at super middleweight. "I don't believe he's scratched the surface yet with his talent," said McGirt. "He's gotten by doing what he's been doing, but the key is to make him better and make the fights much easier. He has the talent to make fights easier instead of making them hard. Once he starts using all the tools he has and gains confidence in them, everything becomes much easier. On Saturday, I expect him to be Diego, but I also expect him to show some of the things we've worked on. Not everything, because you can't expect that in the first fight together, but if he does one or two of those things, it'll be a very successful night. First, you've got to build the relationship. Then you learn what makes him tick. This young man has a tremendous amount of talent, a long future and a lot to offer. There are things he can do that I don't think he realizes he can do yet. The key is not to throw everything at him all at once. He's willing to learn. A lot of fighters always have an answer, 'Yeah, I know, but….' Well, if you know, you don't need me. Diego listens, tries to apply what I teach him, and if he makes a mistake, he'll point it out before I do."
"\I felt like I needed someone who's competed at the highest level, someone who's been a world champion and worked the corner in major championship fights," said Pacheco. "Buddy was the perfect guy. In the past, I felt some coaches let things slide because of my height and the things I could do. They thought I could get away with certain habits. Buddy is old school. Everything has to be on point. I love his boxing IQ and the emphasis he places on the jab. That's exactly what I needed to reach the next level. This is my first camp with Buddy. We've spent a lot of time learning and correcting little things that weren't addressed before. Some of what he wanted me to work on felt awkward at first because it was new, but once I became comfortable with it, I started feeling really sharp."
