UNDEFEATED super-middleweight contender Steven Nelson, 20-0 (16 KOs), has come up the hard way in the world of boxing but has now been presented with a major opportunity against one of the hottest prospects in the division. Ahead of the bout, a determined Nelson has admitted that he simply ‘cannot afford to lose’.
After working with the Special Forces for eight years and being deployed to Afghanistan, Nelson joined the boxing team in the Army’s World Class Athlete Program and eventually turned professional, debuting in 2016.
An impressive start to his career saw the Nebraskan, who trains under Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre alongside pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford, earn his shot at the vacant WBO NABO super-middleweight crown, where he halted the unbeaten Cem Kilic in eight rounds.
However, Nelson’s glory was short-lived, as he would go on to tear an Achilles tendon later that year, leaving him on the sidelines for over two years.
Nelson has since returned in three successive contests on Terence Crawford undercards (vs. David Avanesyan, Errol Spence Jr. and Israil Madrimov), defeating James Ballard, Rowdy Montgomery and Marcos Vazquez, rising to #14 in the WBO world ratings as a result.
Now 36 years of age, Nelson finally has the opportunity to be the star of the show as he headlines against Diego Pacheco, 22-0 (18 KOs), in a battle where the position as WBO mandatory challenger and a consequent meeting with Canelo Alvarez, 62-2-2 (39 KOs), is on the line.
Speaking at the press conference for the event, Nelson explained why he ‘cannot afford to lose’ and added that he is not just fighting for himself, but also in the hope of inspiring others who have come from similarly humble beginnings.
“He is 23, from Cali, Mexicana, signed to Matchroom. If he takes a loss, he can bounce back. I’m 36 from Omaha, Nebraska. I’ve been through hell to get here, and I mean hell, and not just in boxing. Military, the streets, I’ve been shot, I’ve been blown up. I’ve been through everything. Injuries, all of that, I can’t afford to lose.
“If he thinks that I am coming into this fight just to lay down – I am not. So, he can make it hard, or it will be easy, but I am not losing, I am not backing down.
“This is life changing, for me and the people around me; the kids that I coach, my family, there is so much behind this. I am not fighting for Steven Nelson, I am fighting for a whole community of people, people that didn’t get opportunities but had the talent, in and outside of boxing. I am speaking for those people.
“It’s hard out here and we have got to step up and make s**t happen.”
The WBO mandatory is expected to be called soon, meaning the victor of Pacheco-Nelson would be the frontrunner for the lucrative opportunity to face Canelo Alvarez in his annual Cinco De Mayo outing, and possibly derail the unified title-holder’s plans of facing Crawford in September.
