Steven Nelson is twenty fights into his nine-year pro career, and at 36, “So Cold” believes the boxing world is still due for his warm welcome.

Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) will get the opportunity to prove his standing when he takes on super middleweight upstart Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) in a main event on January 25 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on DAZN.

“I have the skills, but people have not seen it,” Nelson told The Ring. “I have not been given the opportunity from my opponents to pull out everything that I am capable of doing. I'm a firm believer in only bringing out the tools that are needed for the job.”

Nelson said he asked for the fight against Pacheco on his own, just as Matchroom Boxing, Pacheco’s promoter, was trying to get their charge a fight against Trevor McCumby.

“I sought the fight myself on social media. They put me in the bucket. They asked if I was ready, and I said, 'Yeah, let's get it,’” said Nelson. “I'm sure Diego will bring out a competitive side that no one has seen. Anybody is beatable. I am blessed with analytical skills and am also hyper-focused. I can exploit those things.”

The Omaha, Nebraska native Nelson scored a fifth-round knockout against Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez in August during his last fight. The bout took place on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s unanimous decision win against Israil Madrimov during Riyadh Season’s North American debut show.

Nelson and Crawford also share the same coach in Brian McIntyre, the 2023 Trainer of the Year.

Pacheco, 23, is ranked No. 4 by The Ring at 168 pounds and is the No. 1 challenger to Canelo Alvarez's WBC title. He’s coming off an impressive sixth-round body shot knockout against former middleweight title challenger Maciej Sulecki in August.

“Pacheco has the No. 1 spot in the sanctioning bodies,” said Nelson. “He's the guy that is up there, and I want the top dogs. It's nothing personal. It's not like I watched him and said, 'Yeah, I'll beat him.' If I feel that I am the best, I need to fight the best. Once I beat Pacheco, I can call out the top guys.”

One of the top guys Nelson envisions fighting one day is Canelo Alvarez.

But he quickly quipped that he’d step aside if Crawford got the call to face the Mexican superstar instead.

“These are the kind of fights that fans want to see and it makes boxing entertaining,” said Nelson. “I am willing to fight all of the big names from Canelo on down.”