Immanuwel Aleem Targets Diego Pacheco’s Holding Habit

Aleem expects the unbeaten super middleweight contender to hold during inside exchanges and urges the referee to enforce the rules on Saturday

Immanuwel Aleem believes Diego Pacheco will rely on clinching once the pressure builds in Saturday’s super middleweight fight. Aleem says the referee must prevent excessive holding to allow sustained exchanges on the inside.

Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs) is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision over Kevin Lele Sadjo last December. That fight drew criticism from some fans after Pacheco spent long stretches tying up his opponent, particularly after being dropped. Aleem made it clear he expects more of the same.

“I know he holds rapidly probably like three to four times a round,” Aleem said during Thursday’s final press conference. “Referees need to really identify that, and hopefully he doesn’t make this a hugging match, and we can really throw hands.”

Aleem believes Pacheco’s height and reach advantages won’t matter once he gets inside.

“I fight everybody who’s been tall. Look at my record. I’m normally the shorter fighter nine times out of ten. It’s another day in the boxing ring for me,” said Aleem.

The comments revisit one of the main talking points from Pacheco’s last outing. After Kevin Sadjo scored a knockdown, Pacheco frequently tied his opponent up whenever the distance closed, a tactic that helped him recover but also frustrated many fans who felt the referee allowed excessive clinching. While the strategy proved effective, it sparked criticism from viewers hoping to see more sustained exchanges.

Aleem insists he isn’t coming to Carson simply to survive. The veteran says he intends to force Pacheco into uncomfortable situations from the opening bell.

“It’s the animal mentality. It’s animal mode, and you’ll get to see that July 18th. It will be unleashed.”

If Aleem succeeds in making the fight physical, Pacheco may once again face scrutiny over how he handles pressure on the inside. With bigger fights potentially waiting later this year, another performance dominated by clinching would likely revive the criticism that followed his victory over Sadjo.

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