By Bill Green
Unbeaten WBO #13 super middleweight contender Steven “So Cold” Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) talks about his upcoming January 25 clash against WBO #1, WBC #3, IBF #4 Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) for the WBC USA and WBO int’l titles inside the Chelsea Ballroom at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas live on DAZN.
BG: Hello. Steve, how’s camp and where did you and the B&B team decide to train at?
So Cold: We did some minicamp stuff in Omaha way back in October and then moved things to Vegas. The road work and weather is perfect and we are well connected out here.
BG: Congrats on earning the right for a title eliminator on January 25th against Diego Pacheco. Let’s clear the air on how this bout was made, folks incorrectly stated that you were plan B or even C in terms of being picked by Pacheco.
So Cold: I did read that bogus article somewhere as well. Listen, me and the team pay attention to all opportunities within the division, I have been advocating for a big fight for quite some time but it’s difficult with not being directly connected to a major promoter. However, the facts are I literally tagged Pacheco on a Twitter/X post about wanting the smoke, so in my mind nobody chose me, I sought out him.
BG: Interesting, Pacheco is a 6’4 power puncher that has been on a roll as of late. Media has already projected this fight as a tune-up for him.
So Cold: We are used to the doubt and hate, we harness it and enjoy proving the so called experts wrong. In fact, I have been doing that in life too. From Foster care, to the Army, to the Olympics. Pacheco being taller has zero effect on me, I’m always the shorter fighter and it’s always been that way, he has holes in his game just like anybody else.
BG: This fight seems to be personal for you…..
So Cold: Not at all, but let’s just say, I’m highly motivated to prove others wrong and to remind them of some things. For example, they talk about his amateur background, in fact I had a better one, they talk about his record and who he has fought, and I beat the same guys if they were in the ring with me too. They should be talking about this being a 50/50 fight between two of the top guys in the division.
BG: Not to keep adding fuel to the fire, they are stating that Pacheco is a devastating body puncher.
So Cold: Yep and guess what, so am I. Not only that, to go to my body doesn’t he have to be close to me? If so, there goes his reach and you all can ignore that 6’4 narrative. We will see what he wants to do in there and adjust on the fly.
BG: So if it’s not height or power….is it youth that the experts see him as the favorite?
Nelson: I mean he’s with Eddie and Matchroom, he’s fought consistently, as I had a major injury to overcome that stalled my momentum a couple years ago. People forget I was rated top 10 before the injury and was signed with Top Rank. I’ve been where he is at. On paper, you can easily see what to like or favor, he’s 23 and I’m 36. The narrative is I’m on the decline and he’s on the rise. But if the media was neutral they would say, man this is a great matchup to kick off 25, two top guys going at it in hopes to earn a title shot and some big $$$. But, honestly, the truth won’t sell, so keep the narrative, and keep making it seem easy for him. Keep sleeping on me!!!
