Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant - November 6, 2021

[adislav123]

if canelo fights callum, make saunders fight plant instead of frikkin murray.

then put the winners together.

[H8Usernames]

Caleb Plant. Some loser that really hasnt fought anyone and won a title by beating someone called Mike Lee that had not fought anyone. Ofcourse I am supposed to be excited about this fight, why? Cause I'm a complete idiot.

[Enlightened-One]

Caleb Plant. Some loser that really hasnt fought anyone and won a title by beating someone called Mike Lee that had not fought anyone. Ofcourse I am supposed to be excited about this fight, why? Cause I'm a complete idiot.

It seems that this fight isn’t happening now, but you’d have to be a moron if you considered yourself as being a hard-core boxing aficionado to also not be interested in seeing Canelo face a top-three world-rated 168lb-er (i.e. 2nd by ESPN, 3rd by The RING and 3rd by TBRB), especially considering the Mexican would have been facing an opponent rated above himself.

[apollo creed]

Plant is a young smw in his prime. He beat Medina and Uzcategui(smw IBF champ). Callum Smith beat Groves(smw WBA champ) - who beat Eubank Jr, but also Callum looked very poor against Ryder.

In terms of competitiveness I'd like to see Canelo vs Caleb. Smith is just OK-ish.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Plant is a young smw in his prime. He beat Medina and Uzcategui(smw IBF champ). Callum Smith beat Groves(smw WBA champ) - who beat Eubank Jr, but also Callum looked very poor against Ryder.

Yeh, he wasn't the favourite against Uzcategui was he..

[H8Usernames]

Caleb Plant. Some loser that really hasnt fought anyone and won a title by beating someone called Mike Lee that had not fought anyone. Ofcourse I am supposed to be excited about this fight, why? Cause I'm a complete idiot.

It seems that this fight isn’t happening now, but you’d have to be a moron if you considered yourself as being a hard-core boxing aficionado to also not be interested in seeing Canelo face a top-three world-rated 168lb-er (i.e. 2nd by ESPN, 3rd by The RING and 3rd by TBRB), especially considering the Mexican would have been facing an opponent rated above himself.

Maybe you are the moron mainstreamfan?

Some guy that hasnt fought anyone and is rated by some stupid organizations? Im supposed to be soo interested in seeing him fight vs the sports best known cherrypicker?

The fact that this guy is rated somewhere and has some belt is kind of like Fraudley Harrissons gold medal. First and foremost it shows how shallow the talentpool in his weightclass was at the olympics that year.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Apparently, fans want Canelo-Plant, not Smith.. May just be Mexican/US fans.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Caleb Plant Hoped To Face Canelo in December - But Deal Didn’t Work Out

When Canelo Alvarez was looking for an opponent to fight this past May on Cinco de Mayo weekend, before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the sports world for several months, super middleweight world titlist Caleb Plant was one of the names prominently mentioned as a possibility.

Ultimately, Alvarez was lined up to face super middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders, although the announcement was put on hold and eventually canceled due to the spreading virus.

For Plant, it was no big deal that he didn’t get the call for the spring bout because he had just made his second title defense on Feb. 15, knocking out Vincent Feigenbutz in the 10th round.

Making a deal for a major fight with Alvarez on relatively short notice, and fighting again so quickly after a long camp for Feigenbutz, was not something Plant was interested in doing.

But when the prospect of Plant taking on Alvarez on Dec. 19 was raised in the aftermath of Alvarez parting ways with Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN after reaching a settlement of his breach of contract lawsuit against them, he was interested.

Alvarez’s team, according to sources, had conversations with Premier Boxing Champions chief Al Haymon about a potential deal that would have paved the way for Plant to get what would have been a pay-per-view fight. Ultimately, it didn’t work out, and Alvarez wound up doing a one-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing to return to DAZN to challenge super middleweight titlist Callum Smith on Dec. 19.

“It was brought to my attention that this was something that could happen (on Dec. 19),” Plant told Boxing Scene. “It wasn’t like they came to me with offer even though I had an idea what I could make off a fight like that. But it’s not like they came to me and said, ‘This is what you’re gonna make.’ It wasn’t detailed, just a potential thing and they were working to get it done and they couldn’t come to terms on it with Canelo.”

So while Plant is now 0-for-2 in landing a fight with Alvarez, the pound-for-pound king to many and the biggest attraction in boxing, he remains very interested in facing him and believes it can happen in 2021.

“I think that would be a great fight and that’s a fight that I really want,” Plant said. “There was a lot of talk going around that I should stay ready, Caleb’s not ready. That’s not the case at all. With Canelo leaving Golden Boy and Oscar (De La Hoya) and looking to venture out, and maybe signing with somebody or doing a one-fight deal with a multitude of companies, whatever deal that him and Al and the PBC team were trying to work out for him to come over here that’s what didn’t materialize.

“Hopefully, this interview can clear up some confusion on me turning it down or saying I’m not ready. That definitely is not the situation. I’m not sure what it would take to get Canelo to come to PBC to have a fight over here but as far as everything with me I’m not hard to make a fight with. I’ve been in the gym. When I came off my fight in February and I had been in a long camp I felt like it would be better to get the rest and not rush into anything. But this (possible December fight) was not a situation like this. I’ve been resting through the quarantine but I have been working. I would have been ready (for Dec. 19).”

Plant theorized that even if Alvarez and PBC thought they could mount a pay-per-view promotion on about five weeks’ notice that it probably didn’t make sense for PBC because it is also putting on a major Fox PPV event on Dec. 5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where unified welterweight world titlist Errol Spence Jr. will defend against former titlist Danny Garcia in the main event.

“A Spence-Garcia conflict a couple of weeks before (Dec. 19) meant people may have to choose between Canelo and me or a Spence-Garcia fight and maybe it didn’t make sense for the PBC team and maybe Canelo and the PBC team just couldn’t come to an agreement,” Plant said. “But as for me, I would have been ready. It wouldn’t have been a weight issue or an issue that I hadn’t been training or sparring or anything like that. I’ve been working. I stay in shape year round.

“Whatever Al and Canelo couldn’t figure out, that has nothing to do with me. It’s easy to make a fight with me, but I also know there’s a lot that goes into making a big pay-per-view fight like that and if they felt they didn’t have the time to put that show together and all the variables that go with it, like Spence and Garcia fighting on Dec. 5, I don’t know about all that.”

Plant (20-0, 12 KOs), 28, of Las Vegas, won his 168-pound belt by unanimous decision over Jose Uzcategui in January 2019, defended it by third-round knockout of Mike Lee in July 2019 and then took Feigenbutz apart in February.

Plant is anxious now for a bigger fight and believes he would do well against Mexico’s Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs), 30, a four-division world titlist, who currently holds a middleweight title and a secondary super middleweight belt.

“I get my hand raised. I’m not scared of Canelo,” Plant said. “I know that he does have the experience, but I feel like I have all the tools in my belt to get my hand raised in a fight like that. I have heart, I have a good chin. I’ve shown that I can dig deep. I can take big punches like I did against Jose Uzcategui. I’ve developed a lot since that fight and shown it in my last couple of fights.

“Whenever it’s been time to step up to the plate in my life I’ve always stepped up to the plate and I’ve never shied away.”

Plant is a boxing fan in addition to having a keen interest in what takes place in his weight division so he said he will be tuning in to Alvarez-Smith next month.

“I’m gonna check it out. I’m a boxing fan as well. It’s a big fight regardless of it’s in my weight class or not but it being in my weight class, of course, I’m going to tune in,” he said.

As for how thinks it will go, he believes Alvarez will prevail.

“I think Callum does have some good things going for him but at the end of the day I feel like he’s an ABC, 123 fighter and I feel like Canelo will have the skills and the tools in his belt and will be able to figure him out,” Plant said. “Also, with the John Ryder fight, unless that was just a super off night for Callum, and he just had a really bad performance, then it doesn’t seem like he likes to fight on the inside and someone who can get inside of his big, lanky arms can wear him down and do what they need to do. Canelo is a much better version of that than John Ryder.”

Smith (27-0, 19 KOs), 30, of England, struggled mightily with Ryder last November in his last bout but retained the title via disputed decision.

“I’m not really gonna say I’m rooting for one of them because they’re not my friends but it would be nice for Canelo to get his hand raised, that way we could hopefully bring the fans a big fight,” Plant said. “I feel like I have all the tools to be the one to beat Canelo.”

Plant said whatever happens in Alvarez-Smith, he plans to be back in action in early 2021.

“Since we weren’t able to make this fight (with Alvarez) materialize for end of the year I’m sure I’ll be in there right at top of the year,” Plant said.

After that, he hopes a fight with Alvarez can finally be made.

“I’m here to stay. I feel like I’m the best in the 168-pound division,” Plant said. “I don’t care who’s in the division. In the 168-pound division I’m the best until it’s proven otherwise.”

Dan Rafael was ESPN.com's senior boxing writer for fifteen years, and covered the sport for five years at USA Today. He was the 2013 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award winner for excellence in boxing journalism.

[Jimmy2020]

8th May next year will be Canelo v Plant.

[Thomastearns]

8th May next year will be Canelo v Plant.

And then maybe the third fight with Golovkin in September.

Canelo's team certainly know how to extract the max out of their fans.

Items on their agenda include the following.

1 Get the belt off Smith
2 Decision Plant
3 Get a real victory over GGG as he nears 40.

However Plant is a smart and underrated fighter who keeps on flying quietly under the radar. He's unlikely to get the decision but he might pose Canelo a few questions doing so.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo On Fighting Plant Or Saunders: I'll Adapt To Any Style, Be The Winner

Two of Canelo Alvarez’s potential opponents for his likely fight early in May have vastly different styles than Callum Smith.

Alvarez nevertheless expressed confidence during a post-fight press conference early Sunday morning regarding possible bouts against left-handed Billy Joe Saunders and right-handed Caleb Plant, both terrific technical fighters. England’s Saunders, the WBO super middleweight champion, and the United States’ Plant, the IBF 168-pound champ, each would provide Alvarez a chance to add one of the two remaining super middleweight titles he needs to become the undisputed champion in that division.

“I adapt to all styles,” Alvarez said through a translator after a dominant 12-round victory over Smith at Alamodome. “I adapted for Callum Smith this time around, and I’ll prepare for any style. I will always prepare for any style and I’ll be ready. I’ll always be ready and be the winner.”

The 28-year-old Plant (20-0, 12 KOs), a native of Ashland City, Tennessee, presumably would be available to battle Alvarez on May 8 if Plant beats former IBF champ Caleb Truax (31-4-2, 19 KOs, 1 NC) on January 30 and leaves the ring relatively healthy.

The 31-year-old Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) doesn’t have a fight scheduled.

Saunders and Alvarez, who owns the WBA and WBC titles, reached an agreement to fight seven months ago. The Alvarez-Saunders fight, which would’ve taken place May 2 in Las Vegas, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 30-year-old Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) could return to the ring quickly after ending a 13-month layoff by defeating England’s Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) by unanimous decision. The four-division champion and promoter Eddie Hearn told Boxing Scene before Alvarez beat Smith that he is willing to making a mandatory defense of the WBC belt he won Saturday against Avni Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) sometime in February in Mexico.

Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing doesn’t have a promotional agreement with Alvarez beyond Saturday night. Alvarez, who separated from longtime partner Golden Boy Promotions before he faced Smith, expressed a willingness during the press conference to continue working with Hearn and DAZN beyond Saturday night.

Finally fighting Gennadiy Golovkin in a long-awaited third bout also is a possibility for Alvarez’s appearance in May.

“Look, what I want is whatever my team wants, what Eddy wants,” Alvarez said, referring to trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso. “He’s the one that tells me, so you know, we’re trying to make history here, be the second Latino that [fully] unifies the titles like this.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Plant: I Wasn't Overly Impressed With Canelo; Callum Smith Didn't Go Out On His Shield

Caleb Plant wasn’t as swayed by Canelo Alvarez’s triumphant performance against Callum Smith as many fans and fighters.

The unbeaten IBF super middleweight champion commended the Mexican superstar for thoroughly out-pointing a previously undefeated, legitimate super middleweight world champion. Plant was underwhelmed by Smith’s performance, though, in their 12-round, 168-pound title fight December 19 at Alamodome in San Antonio.

Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) beat the much taller, longer Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) by huge margins on all three scorecards (119-109, 119-109, 117-111), yet Plant didn’t sense Smith was completely committed to pulling off an upset against the favored four-division champion. Plant, a potential opponent for Alvarez in 2021, assessed Alvarez’s victory over Smith during an appearance Monday on “The Ak & Barak Show,” which streams daily on DAZN and SiriusXM.

“I wasn’t overly impressed,” Plant told co-hosts Barak Bess and Akin Reyes. “I didn’t really see him do something where I was like, ‘Wow! This is, you know, something I haven’t seen or new elements to his game.’ … And for the most part, too, I just felt like Callum went from rope to rope, from corner to corner. You know, you can call it commendable that he got in there and fought him. But at no point did he really fight Canelo. He got in there and the bell rang, and he stayed alive for 12 rounds. But I don’t feel like he ever really put it all out there and really went out on his shield.”

Plant dismissed the theory of Smith potentially taking a punishing punch early in their bout that made him reluctant to engage Alvarez thereafter.

“I mean, everybody gets hit with body shots,” Plant said. “At this level, everybody gets hit with a good shot at some point, you know, within 12 rounds, a shot that, you know, you may feel or a body shot. That doesn’t mean that you get to fold. That doesn’t mean that you just go from rope to rope and corner to corner and not even, you know, go out on your shield. You know, when I fought Jose Uzcategui, nobody wanted to fight him. At some point in that 12 rounds, he caught me with a nice shot.

“But you never seen me fold and go from rope to rope, and just not even try and fight back and, you know, try to win. And same thing with him. I sent him down twice. I caught him with body shots. I caught him with a whole lotta sh-t. That doesn’t mean that you just get to go from rope to rope and give up, though. And that’s kind of what I feel like [Smith] did.”

Plant revealed that his manager, Luis De Cubas Jr., didn’t consider five weeks’ notice enough time for Plant to properly prepare to face Alvarez on December 19. The Ashland City, Tennessee, native acknowledged that Smith accepting that difficult fight on such short notice might’ve impacted his performance.

The 28-year-old Plant suspects Smith wouldn’t have beaten Alvarez even with a full training camp. Smith’s subpar performance in a controversial win against John Ryder a year earlier taught Plant that Smith would have difficulty dealing with an opponent who walked him down.

“At the end of the day, you know, not to put anyone down, but Callum Smith, he’s kind of an A-B-C, 1-2-3 fighter,” Plant said. “You know, he kinda stands straight up, not too many dimensions to his game. I have seen him be able to make a couple of adjustments in fights. But, you know, just stylistically, and with the experience that Canelo has and the style that Callum has, I feel like it probably wouldn’t have worked out either way. But, you know, when you give yourself four weeks to train on top of that, you know, it’s [even harder].”

Plant (20-0, 12 KOs) is scheduled to defend his title January 30, when he’ll face former IBF champ Caleb Truax (31-4-2, 19 KOs, 1 NC) in a FOX main event at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Plant: "At Some Point, Me And Canelo Are Gonna Get In There And Do Our Thing"

“If you ask any world champion in any division, they’ll tell you it’s not big enough for both of us,” Plant told Fox Sports’ Brian Kenny during a pre-recorded interview which aired during the Dec. 26 edition of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Fox. “So, it’s at the point where we’re going to have to get this figured out.”

“I know it’s a fight that me and him both want,” insists Plant. “At some point, me and Canelo are gonna get in there and do our thing. I will have my hand raised when we fight, I can assure you that.”

[Enlightened-One]

You have to assume that Canelo and Caleb Plant will fight sometime this year.

The American told iFL TV that it’ll likely happen during September (probably around Mexican Independence Day).

I know that Eddie Hearn was working on a two-fight deal with Canelo, commencing with the Avni Yildirim bout, potentially followed by facing the winner of Andrade-Saunders on the 8th May.

I don’t know whether Canelo ultimately agreed the terms of Hearn’s offer, but it’s interesting to see DAZN bidding to cover the Yildrim bout, an opponent they previously refused to sanction during August of last year (despite the Mexican agreeing to accept a pay cut).

[Onetimeonly]

When is andrade/Saunders?

[Enlightened-One]

When is andrade/Saunders?

During the first week of January, Saunders mentioned that February was the likely date, but the deal hasn't been agreed yet. March seems more likely.

If Andrade doesn't take the Saunders fight, he'll face Liam Williams instead.

The Saunders-Andrade bout seemed like a "done deal" during late December, but then the UK government imposed another national lockdown to scupper Matchroom's plans for the time being.

So there's some uncertainly surrounding boxing in the UK.

It's not simply a case of staging the events - the boxing gyms are closed too.

[Ruthless-RKO]

You have to assume that Canelo and Caleb Plant will fight sometime this year.

The American told iFL TV that it’ll likely happen during September (probably around Mexican Independence Day).

I know that Eddie Hearn was working on a two-fight deal with Canelo, commencing with the Avni Yildirim bout, potentially followed by facing the winner of Andrade-Saunders on the 8th May.

I don’t know whether Canelo ultimately agreed the terms of Hearn’s offer, but it’s interesting to see DAZN bidding to cover the Yildrim bout, an opponent they previously refused to sanction during August of last year (despite the Mexican agreeing to accept a pay cut).

He's looking at working out a deal with FOX.. potential PPV.

Next 2 fights through DAZN (Yildirim and Saunders?)

Then Plant in Sept (FOX PPV one off)

[Onetimeonly]

When is andrade/Saunders?

During the first week of January, Saunders mentioned that February was the likely date, but the deal hasn't been agreed yet. March seems more likely.

If Andrade doesn't take the Saunders fight, he'll face Liam Williams instead.

The Saunders-Andrade bout seemed like a "done deal" during late December, but then the UK government imposed another national lockdown to scupper Matchroom's plans for the time being.

So there's some uncertainly surrounding boxing in the UK.

It's not simply a case of staging the events - the boxing gyms are closed too.

Damn, you suck at calenders too.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Only fight that should make sense for Plant.. he’s milked some title defences.. now earn your big payday

[lazboy]

It's just a shame that all these "champions" are so inexperienced. We want to see competitive fights. I'm sure Plant will give it his all but he is seriously lacking in experience.

[margaret thatcher]

It's just a shame that all these "champions" are so inexperienced. We want to see competitive fights. I'm sure Plant will give it his all but he is seriously lacking in experience.

ya, the way it works.....a lot of these guys take fairly safe fights to keep the canelo payday alive, so when it comes they're not prepared. mean while canelo just keeps getting more and more experience.....he's seen so many different styles and attributes now

[lazboy]

It's just a shame that all these "champions" are so inexperienced. We want to see competitive fights. I'm sure Plant will give it his all but he is seriously lacking in experience.

ya, the way it works.....a lot of these guys take fairly safe fights to keep the canelo payday alive, so when it comes they're not prepared. mean while canelo just keeps getting more and more experience.....he's seen so many different styles and attributes now

Exactly my thoughts. Boxing would be better served if the contenders fought each other. No.1 We would get to see more competitive fights and no.2 Experience for those fighters - experience is so important. But as you've explained, they are hoping for that lottery ticket, above all else. It's a broken system and results in mismatches. Mismatches in setting up these big fights and generally the big fights themselves are mismatches. Broken.

[Cent0089]

Saunders was the hard part. Plant will go down. He doesnt have Smith toughness or Saunders awkwardness. Canelo would beat him pretty easily. Alvarez vs Charlo is something i really want to see.

[DrDuke]

Saunders was the hard part. Plant will go down. He doesnt have Smith toughness or Saunders awkwardness. Canelo would beat him pretty easily. Alvarez vs Charlo is something i really want to see.

The Plant matchup is good and Charlo must challenge the undisputed championship after it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Saunders was the hard part. Plant will go down. He doesnt have Smith toughness or Saunders awkwardness. Canelo would beat him pretty easily. Alvarez vs Charlo is something i really want to see.

The Plant matchup is good and Charlo must challenge the undisputed championship after it.

Did Charlo said he’ll go up to 168?