Rather than forcing the action, Pacheco (26-0, 19 KOs) boxed behind a steady jab from the opening bell, making full use of his height and reach advantage against the shorter Aleem (22-5-3, 14 KOs). Aleem kept trying to work his way inside and landed the occasional counter, but he rarely stayed there for long before Pacheco answered with the jab and pushed the action back to long range.

By the middle rounds, Pacheco was finding Aleem with increasing regularity. He mixed hooks to the body with straight shots upstairs, forcing the veteran to reset after nearly every exchange.

By the championship rounds, the effects of that steady attack were becoming obvious. Aleem was still pressing forward, but his punches lacked the same snap while Pacheco was throwing with increasing authority.

The finish arrived in the 11th. Pacheco trapped Aleem along the ropes and ripped together a series of uppercuts and body shots that left the veteran unable to answer. After watching the one-sided exchange unfold, the referee stepped between them to stop the contest.

It was an encouraging first outing with veteran trainer Buddy McGirt in Pacheco’s corner. Instead of looking for one big punch, Pacheco trusted his fundamentals, allowed the fight to develop naturally, and produced the late stoppage.

Pacheco left the ring with another successful defense of his WBC Silver and WBO International belts and strengthened his position among the leading contenders at 168 pounds.