Rising super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs), 23, of Los Angeles, will take on Steven Nelson, who is part of the Terence Crawford’s camp, in the main event at The Cosmopolitan.
Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs), 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, boxed just once this year, a fifth-round knockout of Marcos Vazquez on Crawford-Israil Madrimov undercard on Aug. 3.
In the co-feature, fast-rising lightweight Andy Cruz (4-0, 2 KOs), 29, the 2020 Cuban Olympic gold medalist, will face Omar Salcido (20-1, 14 KOs), 24, a Mexico native fighting out of Lakeside, California. Salcido has won two fights in a row and is coming off an impressive ninth-round upset knockout of Chris Colbert on Oct. 16.
Also, junior welterweight up-and-comer Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (16-0, 15 KOs), 23, of Pomona, California, will have his first fight since signing with Matchroom Boxing. He will fight former lightweight and junior lightweight titlist Jose Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KOs), 35, of Puerto Rico.
Pedraza has faced a who’s who during his career but is 0-3-1 in his last four leading to his release by Top Rank. He lost a decision to former unified junior welterweight titlist Jose Ramirez, drew with former lightweight titlist Richard Commey, lost a decision to unbeaten junior welterweight contender Arnold Barboza Jr. and in February was pummeled in a one-sided sixth-round knockout loss to lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis.
Mercado, who ranked No. 13 on the 2023 Fight Freaks Unite top 15 prospects list, was scheduled to make his Matchroom debut on the undercard of IBF welterweight titlist Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ rematch against Karen Chukhadzhian on Nov. 9 in Philadelphia, but when opponent Jesus Saracho weighed 146.8 pounds — 6.8 over the contract limit — the fight was canceled.
