Hamzah Sheeraz is the talk of the town.

Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) just scored a scorching hot fifth-round stoppage win against Edgar Berlanga last week in New York, headlining Ring III to turn himself into a top challenger for Canelo Alvarez’s throne.

Fellow unbeaten super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco had a perfect opportunity to follow Sheeraz’s statement win with a prolific performance of his own against Trevor McCumby on Saturday, but he instead scored a ho-hum, workmanlike near-shutout decision by primarily pumping his jab all night.

Pacheco (24-0, 18 KOs) had to fight to a smattering of boos, and it wasn’t the kind of performance that got many excited for what could potentially be next for him, especially after going the distance with Steven Nelson in January.

However, Pacheco promoter and Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn believes it’s the perfect time to pit Pacheco, The Ring’s No. 2-rated fighter at 168 pounds, against Sheeraz, No. 7 in the division.

“It was a solid win,” said Hearn. “I thought Diego lacked a little bit of variation at times. It was a mature performance, but sometimes you have to win a little bit ugly. He banked 12 rounds against a very good fighter. He's 24 and becoming a good fighter and has a great future ahead.

“I like Pacheco against Hamzah Sheeraz. They are the future of the division. If Hamzah is going to have a fight before Canelo Alvarez and wants to roll the dice, let's do it between two great 168-pounders … I know Turki Alalshikh likes Hamzah Sheeraz, but it's a great fight. I don't think Hamzah is going to want to wait until February or, more likely, May [to fight Alvarez].”

Pacheco didn’t call out Sheeraz or any other specific opponents after the win, but he explained that he felt comfortable controlling the contest from the outside to stay away from McCumby’s sneaky counter shots.

“I felt OK with the performance,” said Pacheco. “I was trying to find my distance, work my jab, and control the fight. I was looking for some shots, but Trevor made it tough to pull off on him. All I was worried about was getting this win and preparing for the next one. I had to take care of business, and I know there are big fights coming after this. I want anybody in the top 10 as I close my way into a world title.”