In a thrilling night of boxing at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the Chelsea Ballroom witnessed fierce competition and some career-defining moments, headlined by a super middleweight clash between Diego Pacheco and Steven Nelson.
Diego Pacheco retained his undefeated record with a hard-earned unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Steven Nelson in a 12-round super middleweight battle. Pacheco dominated the early rounds, but Nelson came alive in the later stages, particularly in the 11th and 12th rounds, where he landed sharp counters and pressed the action. Despite Nelson’s strong finish, the judges scored the fight 117-111 across the board for Pacheco, who admitted it wasn’t his best performance but viewed the challenge as a valuable learning experience.
In the co-main event, 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz put on a boxing clinic, outclassing Omar Salcido in a ten-round lightweight contest. Cruz left Salcido chasing shadows, with the Olympian winning by wide scores of 99-91, 98-92, and 98-92. Salcido had his moments, landing a few big shots, but Cruz’s consistent accuracy and slick movement made the difference, especially in the final round when he had Salcido in survival mode.
Ernesto Mercado stole the spotlight with a brutal fourth-round stoppage of former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza. Mercado’s size and power overwhelmed Pedraza, who looked out of his depth against the younger, larger fighter. The decisive moment came when a powerful right hand landed flush, prompting the referee to wave off the fight. Even without the controversial rabbit punch, Mercado’s dominance suggested the end was inevitable. Post-fight, Mercado set his sights on WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
A high-paced eight-round clash between Leonardo Rubalcava and Israel Mercado ended in a majority draw, with the scores reading 76-74 for Mercado and two cards at 75-75. Rubalcava knocked Mercado down in the opening round, but Mercado's pressure allowed him to claw his way back into the fight. However, a point deduction for a low blow in the seventh round ultimately cost Mercado a clear victory.
India’s Nishant Dev had a dream debut, scoring a first-round knockout over Alton Wiggins. The southpaw dropped Wiggins twice before the referee waved it off at 2:48 of the first round. Dev’s powerful left hands made a statement, and he dedicated the victory to his home country, declaring his ambition to become India’s first boxing world champion.
Lightweight prospect Harley Mederos continued his rise with a third-round knockout of Arturo de Isla. Mederos delivered a thunderous left hook to finish the fight at 1:27 of round three. Meanwhile, super featherweight Zaquin Moses improved to 2-0 after an unusual first-round stoppage of Mario Garcia, who suffered a bicep injury and couldn’t continue after the opening round.
Image Credit: Matchroom Boxing