Plant in general is an underrated boxer.Las Vegas boxing guy wrote: ↑10 Jan 2021, 13:22I think that's an underrated comment ... Caleb Plant may be THE BEST boxer in the game (skills wise). His raw power is pretty much his only question mark. It keeps him from going toe to toe (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).
Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Caleb Truax Warns: I Fight My Best When I'm in That Underdog Spot
“I’ve always been the underdog and I embrace that role,” he said. “I fight my best when I’m in that spot and I look forward to proving all the naysayers wrong again.”
“Most guys don’t get one shot at a title, and I had my shot with Danny Jacobs at middleweight and hardly anybody gets two shots at a title, so I jumped at this opportunity and I approached it like it was gonna be my last hurrah,” Truax said. “So I put everything into it. I had a full camp - it was seven weeks and obviously you would have liked to have a little bit longer, but I worked my ass off for all the time I had and everything came together.”
“I’ll tell you what, the championship, that was one of the best feelings of my life besides my daughter being born,” he said.
“I didn’t have my greatest performance in my last fight,” Truax admits. “But the most important thing I took from it was that my Achilles was healthy after eight or nine months of recovery. It held up perfectly and that was the most important thing. I’m ready to move forward.”
“At my age, at 37, there is no telling when I’ll be able to get a world title fight again,” he said. “So I’ve been approaching it as if this is my last shot. I’ve been very focused in camp and just determined to leave it all in the ring and get my belt back.”
“It’s hard to say if Plant is the toughest opponent of my career until we get in the ring,” said Truax. “He’s not the most experienced guy, he’s not the most highly-vaunted guy that I’ve fought. Probably Danny Jacobs was and even James DeGale. So that’s to be determined until we get in the ring and mix it up.
“I’m going to win because I’m the most experienced and the best fighter that Plant has ever faced,” he continues. “I believe my experience, my pressure, my conditioning and just my determination will be the factor in getting the win and I expect to do so on January 30.”
“My hard-working mentality is my character,” he said. “My mother was a single mother working her butt off to provide for my sister, my brother and I. But I also started my career late in boxing. I had to mitigate the experience my opponents had over me and I had to do that through hard work.”
“I’ve always been the underdog and I embrace that role,” he said. “I fight my best when I’m in that spot and I look forward to proving all the naysayers wrong again.”
“Most guys don’t get one shot at a title, and I had my shot with Danny Jacobs at middleweight and hardly anybody gets two shots at a title, so I jumped at this opportunity and I approached it like it was gonna be my last hurrah,” Truax said. “So I put everything into it. I had a full camp - it was seven weeks and obviously you would have liked to have a little bit longer, but I worked my ass off for all the time I had and everything came together.”
“I’ll tell you what, the championship, that was one of the best feelings of my life besides my daughter being born,” he said.
“I didn’t have my greatest performance in my last fight,” Truax admits. “But the most important thing I took from it was that my Achilles was healthy after eight or nine months of recovery. It held up perfectly and that was the most important thing. I’m ready to move forward.”
“At my age, at 37, there is no telling when I’ll be able to get a world title fight again,” he said. “So I’ve been approaching it as if this is my last shot. I’ve been very focused in camp and just determined to leave it all in the ring and get my belt back.”
“It’s hard to say if Plant is the toughest opponent of my career until we get in the ring,” said Truax. “He’s not the most experienced guy, he’s not the most highly-vaunted guy that I’ve fought. Probably Danny Jacobs was and even James DeGale. So that’s to be determined until we get in the ring and mix it up.
“I’m going to win because I’m the most experienced and the best fighter that Plant has ever faced,” he continues. “I believe my experience, my pressure, my conditioning and just my determination will be the factor in getting the win and I expect to do so on January 30.”
“My hard-working mentality is my character,” he said. “My mother was a single mother working her butt off to provide for my sister, my brother and I. But I also started my career late in boxing. I had to mitigate the experience my opponents had over me and I had to do that through hard work.”
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Press Release
Undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant and former world champion Caleb “Golden” Truax previewed their world title showdown on a media conference call Thursday before they headline FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes, Saturday, January 30 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
In the co-feature, Michael Coffie and Darmani Rock clash in a 10-round battle of unbeaten heavyweights. Super welterweight sensation Joey Spencer takes on Isiah Seldon in an eight rounder to open the telecast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and Sweethands Promotions, in association with Warriors Boxing, and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.
Here is what the conference call participants had to say Thursday:
CALEB PLANT
“I can honestly say this is one of my best camps. I’ve had great sparring. I haven’t had any restrictions as far as COVID-19 goes when it comes to sparring partners or strength and conditioning or being in the gym. So I’ve been really focused on what I need to do and I’m just ready to go in there and handle business.
“It’s hard to say where Caleb Truax ranks in terms of past opponents. I have to get in there with him. Styles make fights so after January 30, I’ll have a better idea. I know he’s a veteran, has a lot of experience and is a former world champion who has upset people before, so he has to be taken seriously.
“I’m fully focused on January 30 and when that bell rings so I can do what I do best. I’m not looking past him, but I am looking through him. I’m looking to end this fight early. I don’t see it going 12 rounds, so whether they throw in the white towel, I throw in the white towel for him or the ref steps in to do his job, I’m looking for a stoppage. This ends with me getting my hand raised in spectacular fashion.
“I know what I need to go in there and do. At the end of the day, I can have a game plan but that may not be how the fight is going to go. So I’ll have to make adjustments as needed and I feel that’s one of the things I’m best at. Whatever is needed for the job, I can pull it out of my toolbox and put it to work.
“Me against Jose Uzcategui, they had me the underdog and they had it wrong. So I don’t pay attention to numbers, betting odds—that’s not how I became a world champion and how I’m going to stay world champion. My job is to go in there fully focused on the task at hand. I could care less what the odds say, I know what I need to go in there and do because betting odds don’t win or lose fights.
“I feel like there are unification fights to be made and I feel like they will happen. But as of now, January 30 has my full attention. After that, we’ll have a better understanding of how the cards will fall in the super middleweight division and we’ll be ready to make our next move.
“I think people tend to forget I only have 20 fights. So within 21 fights to not only win a world title from a champion but then have another former world champion under my belt, I feel like I’m off to a great start in my career and I think there are big things ahead.
“I love the team that I have around me. I know that my team has supreme confidence in what I can do in this sport. Not only am I betting on myself, but I know for a fact the rest of the team is betting on me as well. And we’re betting big. We’re not looking to jump on something quick for a quick payday and ride off into the sunset. We’re looking to take this thing all the way to the top and sometimes that requires patience. I know in due time, after I handle business on January 30, when those fights do happen, everything will come to fruition just like we imagined.
“Like most boxers, I don’t come from much and I wanted more than I had. I wanted a better life for the loved ones around me. So I set my mind on a mission and when I put my mind to something, no matter what it is in life, when I say I’m going to do it, I do it. And when I say I want something, I get it. So it doesn’t matter what life tosses my way, it doesn’t matter what I’m up against, once I set my mind to it, I assure you it will get done. I’m fully motivated for this fight, fully focused and, again, I can’t wait to get in there.
“It was a goal to become world champion but it’s not the goal. I’m still far from where I want to be. I’m still far from everything I want to accomplish and to keep that hunger, that motivation, you have to be honest with yourself about who you are and where you’re at. I know where I’m at in my career and how much farther I want to go so it’s no time for me to let my foot off the gas. I need to keep my foot on their necks and I need to keep pushing because, as I’ve said, I’m looking to become the first undisputed world super middleweight champion of all time and you can’t do that with just one world title.”
CALEB TRUAX
“I’m very grateful and fortunate to be in this spot. I’m feeling fantastic. Everything is going as planned as far as camp. I’ve had some great sparring over the past five or six weeks. I’m feeling healthy for the first time in a couple years. I was talking to my trainer this morning when we were working out and I’m almost paranoid that something is going to go wrong in the last nine days. I’m feeling so good right now. I’m just excited and ready to take on this challenge.
“I didn’t have my greatest performance in my last fight but the most important thing I took from it was that my Achilles was healthy after eight or nine months of recovery. It held up perfectly and that was the most important thing. I’m ready to move forward.
“I’ve had some elbow problems the past couple years and that has seemed to have cleared up. My Achilles is healthy as I said before and I’m just feeling really good. I’ve been feeling great in sparring. I’m getting paranoid that I’m feeling too good almost but, I’m focused, feeling great and ready to put on a great performance.
“It’s hard to say if Plant is the toughest opponent of my career until we get in the ring. He’s not the most experienced guy, he’s not the most highly-vaunted guy that I’ve fought. Probably Danny Jacobs was and even James DeGale. So that’s to be determined until we get in the ring and mix it up.
“I’ve always been the underdog and I embrace that role. I fight my best when I’m in that spot and I look forward to proving all the naysayers wrong again.
“At my age, at 37, there is no telling when I’ll be able to get a world title fight again. So I’ve been approaching it as if this is my last shot. I’ve been very focused in camp and just determined to leave it all in the ring and get my belt back.
“I’m going to win because I’m the most experienced and the best fighter that Plant has ever faced. I believe my experience, my pressure, my conditioning and just my determination will be the factor in getting the win and I expect to do so on January 30.
“I’m so used to training through the holidays after doing it for 14 years that it doesn’t affect me too much. The only challenges this time around was that we had a one month shutdown of my gym due to COVID-19. Thankfully it’s a semi-private gym and I have a key to it so I was able to have access. This winter in Minnesota has been very mild so I’ve been able to get some roadwork in and chop some wood without freezing my a— off so it’s been pretty easy to get stuff done.
“Everything has gone great. Preparing for Caleb Plant is a little different than normal; trying to get good boxers with real good speed and just trying to find sparring partners to emulate his strengths. We got a couple guys in, got some really good rounds in. I’ll have my last sparring session tomorrow then I’ll taper down next week and get ready for the fight.
“My hard-working mentality is my character. My mother was a single mother working her butt off to provide for my sister, my brother and I. But I also started my career late in boxing. I had to mitigate the experience my opponents had over me and I had to do that through hard work.
“I go in there and give it my all and fight hard and try to put on the best performance I possibly can for the fans and come out with the win. In a perfect world, it’s a slugfest, a crowd-pleasing fight and I get the win in a 12-round decision. Actually, in a perfect world I go out there and knock him out with the first punch. But we all know that’s not going to happen. He’s a good fighter so I expect to go 12 rounds and just get the job done.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions
“Thank you for joining us on this call, for the battle of the ‘Caleb’s: Caleb Plant versus Caleb Truax for the 168-pound championship of the world. The 168-pound division is quickly becoming one of the hottest in the sport. I know both guys very well, I was involved in promoting both of their professional debuts. Caleb Truax back in 2007 at the Target Center in Minneapolis and Plant’s pro debut in May 2014 at the USC Galen Center. So it’s been a lot of fun watching them develop into world champions.
“Caleb Plant put the boxing world on notice with his exciting, title-winning performance in January 2019 and has established himself as the force in the division going into his third title defense. He’s on a mission to be the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history.
“We all know what he has to go through to in order to make that happen. He has a stiff test in front of him in the upset-minded Caleb Truax, whose super middleweight glory came back in 2017 when he traveled overseas and pulled off a huge upset over James DeGale for the same IBF belt. He has vast experience against some of the best at 168 pounds: Jermain Taylor, Danny Jacobs, Anthony Dirrell, James DeGale—and Caleb, I thought you won both fights—Peter Quillin, so it’s going to be an exciting, can’t-miss night of primetime boxing on FOX.”
Undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant and former world champion Caleb “Golden” Truax previewed their world title showdown on a media conference call Thursday before they headline FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes, Saturday, January 30 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
In the co-feature, Michael Coffie and Darmani Rock clash in a 10-round battle of unbeaten heavyweights. Super welterweight sensation Joey Spencer takes on Isiah Seldon in an eight rounder to open the telecast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and Sweethands Promotions, in association with Warriors Boxing, and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.
Here is what the conference call participants had to say Thursday:
CALEB PLANT
“I can honestly say this is one of my best camps. I’ve had great sparring. I haven’t had any restrictions as far as COVID-19 goes when it comes to sparring partners or strength and conditioning or being in the gym. So I’ve been really focused on what I need to do and I’m just ready to go in there and handle business.
“It’s hard to say where Caleb Truax ranks in terms of past opponents. I have to get in there with him. Styles make fights so after January 30, I’ll have a better idea. I know he’s a veteran, has a lot of experience and is a former world champion who has upset people before, so he has to be taken seriously.
“I’m fully focused on January 30 and when that bell rings so I can do what I do best. I’m not looking past him, but I am looking through him. I’m looking to end this fight early. I don’t see it going 12 rounds, so whether they throw in the white towel, I throw in the white towel for him or the ref steps in to do his job, I’m looking for a stoppage. This ends with me getting my hand raised in spectacular fashion.
“I know what I need to go in there and do. At the end of the day, I can have a game plan but that may not be how the fight is going to go. So I’ll have to make adjustments as needed and I feel that’s one of the things I’m best at. Whatever is needed for the job, I can pull it out of my toolbox and put it to work.
“Me against Jose Uzcategui, they had me the underdog and they had it wrong. So I don’t pay attention to numbers, betting odds—that’s not how I became a world champion and how I’m going to stay world champion. My job is to go in there fully focused on the task at hand. I could care less what the odds say, I know what I need to go in there and do because betting odds don’t win or lose fights.
“I feel like there are unification fights to be made and I feel like they will happen. But as of now, January 30 has my full attention. After that, we’ll have a better understanding of how the cards will fall in the super middleweight division and we’ll be ready to make our next move.
“I think people tend to forget I only have 20 fights. So within 21 fights to not only win a world title from a champion but then have another former world champion under my belt, I feel like I’m off to a great start in my career and I think there are big things ahead.
“I love the team that I have around me. I know that my team has supreme confidence in what I can do in this sport. Not only am I betting on myself, but I know for a fact the rest of the team is betting on me as well. And we’re betting big. We’re not looking to jump on something quick for a quick payday and ride off into the sunset. We’re looking to take this thing all the way to the top and sometimes that requires patience. I know in due time, after I handle business on January 30, when those fights do happen, everything will come to fruition just like we imagined.
“Like most boxers, I don’t come from much and I wanted more than I had. I wanted a better life for the loved ones around me. So I set my mind on a mission and when I put my mind to something, no matter what it is in life, when I say I’m going to do it, I do it. And when I say I want something, I get it. So it doesn’t matter what life tosses my way, it doesn’t matter what I’m up against, once I set my mind to it, I assure you it will get done. I’m fully motivated for this fight, fully focused and, again, I can’t wait to get in there.
“It was a goal to become world champion but it’s not the goal. I’m still far from where I want to be. I’m still far from everything I want to accomplish and to keep that hunger, that motivation, you have to be honest with yourself about who you are and where you’re at. I know where I’m at in my career and how much farther I want to go so it’s no time for me to let my foot off the gas. I need to keep my foot on their necks and I need to keep pushing because, as I’ve said, I’m looking to become the first undisputed world super middleweight champion of all time and you can’t do that with just one world title.”
CALEB TRUAX
“I’m very grateful and fortunate to be in this spot. I’m feeling fantastic. Everything is going as planned as far as camp. I’ve had some great sparring over the past five or six weeks. I’m feeling healthy for the first time in a couple years. I was talking to my trainer this morning when we were working out and I’m almost paranoid that something is going to go wrong in the last nine days. I’m feeling so good right now. I’m just excited and ready to take on this challenge.
“I didn’t have my greatest performance in my last fight but the most important thing I took from it was that my Achilles was healthy after eight or nine months of recovery. It held up perfectly and that was the most important thing. I’m ready to move forward.
“I’ve had some elbow problems the past couple years and that has seemed to have cleared up. My Achilles is healthy as I said before and I’m just feeling really good. I’ve been feeling great in sparring. I’m getting paranoid that I’m feeling too good almost but, I’m focused, feeling great and ready to put on a great performance.
“It’s hard to say if Plant is the toughest opponent of my career until we get in the ring. He’s not the most experienced guy, he’s not the most highly-vaunted guy that I’ve fought. Probably Danny Jacobs was and even James DeGale. So that’s to be determined until we get in the ring and mix it up.
“I’ve always been the underdog and I embrace that role. I fight my best when I’m in that spot and I look forward to proving all the naysayers wrong again.
“At my age, at 37, there is no telling when I’ll be able to get a world title fight again. So I’ve been approaching it as if this is my last shot. I’ve been very focused in camp and just determined to leave it all in the ring and get my belt back.
“I’m going to win because I’m the most experienced and the best fighter that Plant has ever faced. I believe my experience, my pressure, my conditioning and just my determination will be the factor in getting the win and I expect to do so on January 30.
“I’m so used to training through the holidays after doing it for 14 years that it doesn’t affect me too much. The only challenges this time around was that we had a one month shutdown of my gym due to COVID-19. Thankfully it’s a semi-private gym and I have a key to it so I was able to have access. This winter in Minnesota has been very mild so I’ve been able to get some roadwork in and chop some wood without freezing my a— off so it’s been pretty easy to get stuff done.
“Everything has gone great. Preparing for Caleb Plant is a little different than normal; trying to get good boxers with real good speed and just trying to find sparring partners to emulate his strengths. We got a couple guys in, got some really good rounds in. I’ll have my last sparring session tomorrow then I’ll taper down next week and get ready for the fight.
“My hard-working mentality is my character. My mother was a single mother working her butt off to provide for my sister, my brother and I. But I also started my career late in boxing. I had to mitigate the experience my opponents had over me and I had to do that through hard work.
“I go in there and give it my all and fight hard and try to put on the best performance I possibly can for the fans and come out with the win. In a perfect world, it’s a slugfest, a crowd-pleasing fight and I get the win in a 12-round decision. Actually, in a perfect world I go out there and knock him out with the first punch. But we all know that’s not going to happen. He’s a good fighter so I expect to go 12 rounds and just get the job done.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions
“Thank you for joining us on this call, for the battle of the ‘Caleb’s: Caleb Plant versus Caleb Truax for the 168-pound championship of the world. The 168-pound division is quickly becoming one of the hottest in the sport. I know both guys very well, I was involved in promoting both of their professional debuts. Caleb Truax back in 2007 at the Target Center in Minneapolis and Plant’s pro debut in May 2014 at the USC Galen Center. So it’s been a lot of fun watching them develop into world champions.
“Caleb Plant put the boxing world on notice with his exciting, title-winning performance in January 2019 and has established himself as the force in the division going into his third title defense. He’s on a mission to be the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history.
“We all know what he has to go through to in order to make that happen. He has a stiff test in front of him in the upset-minded Caleb Truax, whose super middleweight glory came back in 2017 when he traveled overseas and pulled off a huge upset over James DeGale for the same IBF belt. He has vast experience against some of the best at 168 pounds: Jermain Taylor, Danny Jacobs, Anthony Dirrell, James DeGale—and Caleb, I thought you won both fights—Peter Quillin, so it’s going to be an exciting, can’t-miss night of primetime boxing on FOX.”
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Thomastearns
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
It would be an enormous surprise if Truax wins.
Caleb Pant has very carefully built up his career. Just how good he really is won't be demonstrated by this fight. He should be far too solid for his shopworn rival.
Truax has little to lose, but with all those injuries about to be put under serious pressure, it's difficult to see what his best plan is going to be.
Might still be worth watching just to see how Plant handles what might be a tricky challenge for 3/4 rounds.
Caleb Pant has very carefully built up his career. Just how good he really is won't be demonstrated by this fight. He should be far too solid for his shopworn rival.
Truax has little to lose, but with all those injuries about to be put under serious pressure, it's difficult to see what his best plan is going to be.
Might still be worth watching just to see how Plant handles what might be a tricky challenge for 3/4 rounds.
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TheGingerBomber
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- Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 13:18
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Darmani Rock fighting is interesting, against an unbeaten guy too? I know there was high hopes for DR when he turned over pretty early. Why has he faded into further obscurity, or at least, not risen into contention as a high level prospect? It’s hard to find good footage of his time as a pro, but he’s still extremely young. Is he a Tyson Fury? Or a Hughie?
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
I think Caleb will plant one on Traux
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
He's going to give him a trauxenJMac wrote: ↑28 Jan 2021, 15:43I think Caleb will plant one on Traux
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Plant is a 1/50 fav, how close can this fight possibly be ?
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
I’m betting on Caleb to win. 
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
I guarantee you. Caleb will win.
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Joey Spencer mid weight is on that card looks a good young boxer ,
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
PBC On Fox Preview: Plant Versus Truax
Boxing returns to Fox on Saturday night as IBF super middleweight titlist Caleb Plant takes on the popular veteran Caleb Truax in defense of his championship belt. The PBC, the force behind the fight, is making a big deal out of the 20–0 Plant, even going so far as to run an advertisement during an NFL divisional championship game referring to him as boxing’s next big thing. While that might not be entirely true, Plant is nothing if not a skilled champion with a colorful personality – two winning traits if one wants to grow in popularity. The 31-4-2 Truax, on the other hand, is looking to disrupt the apple cart in this scheduled 12 rounder from LA’s Shrine Exhibition Center.
Although not a knockout artist by any stretch of the imagination, Plant has shown some power in his last two outings, stopping Vincent Feigenbutz in ten last February after stopping the previously undefeated Mike Lee in three on the Manny Pacquiao-Keith Thurman undercard. Holding a title in a red hot division means potential opponents are fellow titlists David Benevidez and pound for pound king Canelo Alvarez. Saturday will mark Plant’s third title defense since he won the IBF belt from Jose Uzcategui in January of 2019.
As for Minnesota’s Truax, this will be the fighter’s attempt to regain a world title in a career that’s spanned close to fifteen years. He was stopped by Daniel Jacobs in 2015 during his quest for the WBA middleweight strap, then won and lost the IBF super middleweight title in fights to James DeGale back in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Truax’ last fight was in January of last year when he bested David Basajjamivule by majority decision. At 37, Truax isn’t getting any younger. Should he upset the 28 year old Plant, however, the veteran fighter will find himself the toast of boxing.
Heavyweight Michael Coffie will also appear on Saturday’s Fox card, as he takes on Darmani Rock in a scheduled 10 rounder. The 11-0 Coffie was last seen stopping Joey Abell in the second round last November. The 17-0 Rock was lost spotted retiring Lorenzo Smith way back in 2019. Lastly, 11-0 middleweight Joey Spencer will appear on Saturday’s card as he takes on the 14-3-1 Isiah Seldon in a scheduled 8 rounder. “The action begins,” as they say, at 8 PM Saturday on Fox, the PBC card wrapping up what’s essentially been a sluggish January for the sport of boxing.
Boxing returns to Fox on Saturday night as IBF super middleweight titlist Caleb Plant takes on the popular veteran Caleb Truax in defense of his championship belt. The PBC, the force behind the fight, is making a big deal out of the 20–0 Plant, even going so far as to run an advertisement during an NFL divisional championship game referring to him as boxing’s next big thing. While that might not be entirely true, Plant is nothing if not a skilled champion with a colorful personality – two winning traits if one wants to grow in popularity. The 31-4-2 Truax, on the other hand, is looking to disrupt the apple cart in this scheduled 12 rounder from LA’s Shrine Exhibition Center.
Although not a knockout artist by any stretch of the imagination, Plant has shown some power in his last two outings, stopping Vincent Feigenbutz in ten last February after stopping the previously undefeated Mike Lee in three on the Manny Pacquiao-Keith Thurman undercard. Holding a title in a red hot division means potential opponents are fellow titlists David Benevidez and pound for pound king Canelo Alvarez. Saturday will mark Plant’s third title defense since he won the IBF belt from Jose Uzcategui in January of 2019.
As for Minnesota’s Truax, this will be the fighter’s attempt to regain a world title in a career that’s spanned close to fifteen years. He was stopped by Daniel Jacobs in 2015 during his quest for the WBA middleweight strap, then won and lost the IBF super middleweight title in fights to James DeGale back in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Truax’ last fight was in January of last year when he bested David Basajjamivule by majority decision. At 37, Truax isn’t getting any younger. Should he upset the 28 year old Plant, however, the veteran fighter will find himself the toast of boxing.
Heavyweight Michael Coffie will also appear on Saturday’s Fox card, as he takes on Darmani Rock in a scheduled 10 rounder. The 11-0 Coffie was last seen stopping Joey Abell in the second round last November. The 17-0 Rock was lost spotted retiring Lorenzo Smith way back in 2019. Lastly, 11-0 middleweight Joey Spencer will appear on Saturday’s card as he takes on the 14-3-1 Isiah Seldon in a scheduled 8 rounder. “The action begins,” as they say, at 8 PM Saturday on Fox, the PBC card wrapping up what’s essentially been a sluggish January for the sport of boxing.
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Truax officially weighed 167.8 pounds for their 12-round bout, slightly more than Plant, who came in at 167.6.
From Boxing Scene
The official weights for the Plant-Truax undercard fights are listed below.
FOX (8 p.m. EST; 5 p.m. PST)
Darmani Rock (17-0, 12 KOs), Philadelphia, 261 pounds vs. Michael Coffie (11-0, 8 KOs), Brooklyn, 270.2 pounds, 10 rounds, heavyweights.
Joey Spencer (11-0, 8 KOs), Union City, California, 158 pounds vs. Isiah Seldon (14-3-1, 5 KOs), Somers Point, New Jersey, 156.6 pounds, 8 rounds, middleweights.
FS1 (6 p.m. EST; 3 p.m. PST)
Rances Barthelemy (27-1-1, 14 KOs, 1 NC), Havana, Cuba, 142.8 pounds vs. All Rivera (21-4, 18 KOs), Santa Rosa City, Philippines, 143.2 pounds, 10 rounds, welterweights.
Brandyn Lynch (10-1, 8 KOs, 2 NC), Los Angeles, 158.2 pounds vs. Mark Anthony Hernandez (14-4-1, 3 KOs), Fresno, California, 160 pounds, 8 rounds, middleweights.
Atif Oberlton (pro debut), Philadelphia, 177.4 pounds vs. Nathan Davis Sharp (4-2, 4 KOs), Merced, California, 177.6 pounds, 4 rounds, cruiserweights.
From Boxing Scene
The official weights for the Plant-Truax undercard fights are listed below.
FOX (8 p.m. EST; 5 p.m. PST)
Darmani Rock (17-0, 12 KOs), Philadelphia, 261 pounds vs. Michael Coffie (11-0, 8 KOs), Brooklyn, 270.2 pounds, 10 rounds, heavyweights.
Joey Spencer (11-0, 8 KOs), Union City, California, 158 pounds vs. Isiah Seldon (14-3-1, 5 KOs), Somers Point, New Jersey, 156.6 pounds, 8 rounds, middleweights.
FS1 (6 p.m. EST; 3 p.m. PST)
Rances Barthelemy (27-1-1, 14 KOs, 1 NC), Havana, Cuba, 142.8 pounds vs. All Rivera (21-4, 18 KOs), Santa Rosa City, Philippines, 143.2 pounds, 10 rounds, welterweights.
Brandyn Lynch (10-1, 8 KOs, 2 NC), Los Angeles, 158.2 pounds vs. Mark Anthony Hernandez (14-4-1, 3 KOs), Fresno, California, 160 pounds, 8 rounds, middleweights.
Atif Oberlton (pro debut), Philadelphia, 177.4 pounds vs. Nathan Davis Sharp (4-2, 4 KOs), Merced, California, 177.6 pounds, 4 rounds, cruiserweights.
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Michael Coffie Ready To "Dig Deep" To Beat Darmani Rock
Heavyweight Michael Polite Coffie is living the dream right now. Maybe not his dream, per se, but the dream of every boxing fan who had delusions of grandeur when it came to stepping through the ropes and competing.
The 34-year-old New Yorker actually did it. And he’s got promise in his new profession, compiling an 11-0 professional record that he will look to improve on this Saturday in Los Angeles when he faces fellow unbeaten Darmani Rock on FOX.
“Honestly, I never really thought of it like that,” he laughs. “Recently I've been hearing that from people, but I never really thought of it. I just felt like I found something that I really like to do and that I'm good at. And my friend said why not pursue it, and I agreed.”
That friend, Jamal Phipps, was Coffie’s corporal in the United States Marine Corps, and when Coffie was done with his eight years of service, Phipps decided it was a good idea to sign his buddy up for the 2016 New York Golden Gloves.
There was just one thing. Coffie had never fought in the ring before. He wasn’t even training. But he was all-in anyway. And at 6-5, 285, he was quite the imposing figure, despite having no previous ring time.
“Everybody there had more experience than I did because I never fought before, ever,” Coffie said. “I had only been training for a few weeks. So everybody there had more experience than me and I knew that, but I felt if I could catch him with a good shot, I could hurt somebody. That got me all the way to the finals the first year, but it didn't get me to winning the gold the first year. That's when I got the eye opener that it took more than just the power.”
Encouraged by his quick start, Coffie decided that he would stick around for a year and fight in the Gloves once more before turning pro. And now that he was going to be in the Open division for year two in 2017, he set his sights high.
“I was 29 at the time and it was just before I turned 30,” he recalled. “So I only wanted to be in the amateurs for one year, but I said I'm gonna try to get as many fights as I could. And I wanted to go after whoever was being considered the best in the amateurs in my weight class.”
He got his wish, avenging an earlier loss to the number one-ranked Nkosi Solomon to win the 2017 Gloves. By the end of that year, he was making his pro debut with a 61-second knockout of Ralph Alexander.
I ask him where he would be if not for Phipps signing him up to be a boxer.
“Probably Kuwait or something like that,” said Coffie. “I was actually in the process where I was trying to get into contracting. I was in the Marine Corps, I got out and I was going to school, so I was going through the process of doing that, but then once I got that first knockout in the first fight in the Gloves, things changed.”
And once he won his first pro bout in a little over a minute, things changed even more, as the boxing world began to pay attention to that 30-something heavyweight with the size and power to make a run at the top. And while he’s stayed busy and slowly increased the level of competition in front of him, he’s made up for his lack of experience by sparring with the likes of Deontay Wilder, Adam Kownacki and Jarrell Miller. As for the fights, he believes he’s still getting tested, even though six of his 11 wins have come in two rounds or less.
“It's just a different type of pressure when you're in the actual fight than it is when you're in sparring,” Coffie said. “I would say the people who I've sparred were definitely higher level than the people that I fought, but it's a different type of pressure in a fight. And, at the end of the day, you're standing in front of another man who's over 200 pounds and they always say, one shot could change everything.”
One shot could be the deciding factor when Coffie meets Philadelphia’s Rock, a 24-year-old former amateur standout who is no stranger to scoring early knockouts. But if it becomes a dogfight, Coffie believes he’s got some life experience that will serve him well.
“I'm ready to dig deep if I have to,” he said. “If he's ready to do the same, then it's gonna be an even better fight. But I know for a fact that I'm ready to dig deep, and the past experience, I feel like it gives me the ability to compartmentalize and I know how to handle certain situations at certain times, including when I'm in the ring.”
Unbeaten, fighting a highly-regarded prospect on FOX, at 34. It bears repeating that this is some story.
Coffie laughs.
“I'm pretty much just locked in,” he admits. “As I get a name, I'm just preparing for that name. Usually, it's the people around me who really put me on to that fact - 'Yo, do you understand what you're doing?' Yeah, I guess. I'm just trying to train and get ready for the fight because I just want to do my thing.”
But what does his corporal think about this crazy ride he started?
“He's excited and, at the same time, I can tell he gets nervous for me,” said Coffie of Phipps, who lives less than a half hour away from him. “He gets nervous because he feels that I'm not nervous. At the end of the day, this is a sanctioned fight. Ain't too much to be nervous about when it comes to the guy standing across the ring from me.”
So Phipps gets ringside tickets for life, then?
“What's understood don't ever have to be said,” laughs Coffie.
Heavyweight Michael Polite Coffie is living the dream right now. Maybe not his dream, per se, but the dream of every boxing fan who had delusions of grandeur when it came to stepping through the ropes and competing.
The 34-year-old New Yorker actually did it. And he’s got promise in his new profession, compiling an 11-0 professional record that he will look to improve on this Saturday in Los Angeles when he faces fellow unbeaten Darmani Rock on FOX.
“Honestly, I never really thought of it like that,” he laughs. “Recently I've been hearing that from people, but I never really thought of it. I just felt like I found something that I really like to do and that I'm good at. And my friend said why not pursue it, and I agreed.”
That friend, Jamal Phipps, was Coffie’s corporal in the United States Marine Corps, and when Coffie was done with his eight years of service, Phipps decided it was a good idea to sign his buddy up for the 2016 New York Golden Gloves.
There was just one thing. Coffie had never fought in the ring before. He wasn’t even training. But he was all-in anyway. And at 6-5, 285, he was quite the imposing figure, despite having no previous ring time.
“Everybody there had more experience than I did because I never fought before, ever,” Coffie said. “I had only been training for a few weeks. So everybody there had more experience than me and I knew that, but I felt if I could catch him with a good shot, I could hurt somebody. That got me all the way to the finals the first year, but it didn't get me to winning the gold the first year. That's when I got the eye opener that it took more than just the power.”
Encouraged by his quick start, Coffie decided that he would stick around for a year and fight in the Gloves once more before turning pro. And now that he was going to be in the Open division for year two in 2017, he set his sights high.
“I was 29 at the time and it was just before I turned 30,” he recalled. “So I only wanted to be in the amateurs for one year, but I said I'm gonna try to get as many fights as I could. And I wanted to go after whoever was being considered the best in the amateurs in my weight class.”
He got his wish, avenging an earlier loss to the number one-ranked Nkosi Solomon to win the 2017 Gloves. By the end of that year, he was making his pro debut with a 61-second knockout of Ralph Alexander.
I ask him where he would be if not for Phipps signing him up to be a boxer.
“Probably Kuwait or something like that,” said Coffie. “I was actually in the process where I was trying to get into contracting. I was in the Marine Corps, I got out and I was going to school, so I was going through the process of doing that, but then once I got that first knockout in the first fight in the Gloves, things changed.”
And once he won his first pro bout in a little over a minute, things changed even more, as the boxing world began to pay attention to that 30-something heavyweight with the size and power to make a run at the top. And while he’s stayed busy and slowly increased the level of competition in front of him, he’s made up for his lack of experience by sparring with the likes of Deontay Wilder, Adam Kownacki and Jarrell Miller. As for the fights, he believes he’s still getting tested, even though six of his 11 wins have come in two rounds or less.
“It's just a different type of pressure when you're in the actual fight than it is when you're in sparring,” Coffie said. “I would say the people who I've sparred were definitely higher level than the people that I fought, but it's a different type of pressure in a fight. And, at the end of the day, you're standing in front of another man who's over 200 pounds and they always say, one shot could change everything.”
One shot could be the deciding factor when Coffie meets Philadelphia’s Rock, a 24-year-old former amateur standout who is no stranger to scoring early knockouts. But if it becomes a dogfight, Coffie believes he’s got some life experience that will serve him well.
“I'm ready to dig deep if I have to,” he said. “If he's ready to do the same, then it's gonna be an even better fight. But I know for a fact that I'm ready to dig deep, and the past experience, I feel like it gives me the ability to compartmentalize and I know how to handle certain situations at certain times, including when I'm in the ring.”
Unbeaten, fighting a highly-regarded prospect on FOX, at 34. It bears repeating that this is some story.
Coffie laughs.
“I'm pretty much just locked in,” he admits. “As I get a name, I'm just preparing for that name. Usually, it's the people around me who really put me on to that fact - 'Yo, do you understand what you're doing?' Yeah, I guess. I'm just trying to train and get ready for the fight because I just want to do my thing.”
But what does his corporal think about this crazy ride he started?
“He's excited and, at the same time, I can tell he gets nervous for me,” said Coffie of Phipps, who lives less than a half hour away from him. “He gets nervous because he feels that I'm not nervous. At the end of the day, this is a sanctioned fight. Ain't too much to be nervous about when it comes to the guy standing across the ring from me.”
So Phipps gets ringside tickets for life, then?
“What's understood don't ever have to be said,” laughs Coffie.
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Premier Boxing Champions present: Plant vs. Truax
Date: January 30, 2021
Broadcast: FS1 | 6pm ET / 3pm PT
Broadcast: FOX | 8pm ET / 5pm PT
Venue: Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Fight Card
FOX (8pm ET; 5pm PT)
IBF World Super Middleweight Championship
Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax
10 Round Heavyweight Bout
Michael Coffie vs. Darmani Rock
8 Round Middleweight Bout
Joey Spencer vs. Isiah Seldon
FS1 (6pm ET; 3pm PT)
10 Round Welterweight Bout
Rances Barthelemy vs. All Rivera
8 Round Middleweight Bout
Brandyn Lynch vs. Mark Anthony Hernandez
4 Round Cruiserweight Bout
Atif Oberlton vs. Nathan Davis Sharp
*Fight card subject to change
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
PBC card tonight. Anyone tuning in?
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Best Coast
- Welterweight
- Posts: 3133
- Joined: 07 Mar 2016, 22:53
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
I'm already in. 4 HOURS of boxing from start to finish!! 
https://fightnews.com/calebmania-tops-f ... ore-100107
https://fightnews.com/calebmania-tops-f ... ore-100107
That includes unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer and ex-amateur standout Atif Oberlton on the undercard!!Literally a four-hour block of boxing tonight on the FOX network. Many will recall the bleak decades when there was ZERO professional boxing on the major over-the-air networks, so this is a great showcase for the sport. Hopefully the fights will measure up
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Best Coast
- Welterweight
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
I've got Plant by clearcut decision.
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Best Coast
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Premature stoppage in that last prelim but Oberlton looks like another Philly gem who could make major impact as a pro. His body work was very impressive.
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Onetimeonly
- Super Featherweight
- Posts: 11584
- Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 06:28
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
That's the fight I'm interested in. Signing with Jay z is one way to stall progress. He seemed to go out of his way not to promote fights. Like the whole thing was a tax write off. I was surprised today to see him in that spot.TheGingerBomber wrote: ↑28 Jan 2021, 00:36 Darmani Rock fighting is interesting, against an unbeaten guy too? I know there was high hopes for DR when he turned over pretty early. Why has he faded into further obscurity, or at least, not risen into contention as a high level prospect? It’s hard to find good footage of his time as a pro, but he’s still extremely young. Is he a Tyson Fury? Or a Hughie?
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gregregegg
- Lightweight
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Co main on, These guys arnt great but im confedent they would of bashed the 2 guys in the "heavyweight world title" fight yesterday. Coffie has pretty quick hands for a big boy.
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Onetimeonly
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Apologies to coffee, I just assumed he was fat. Rock couldn't beat stiverne, much less Bryan.
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gregregegg
- Lightweight
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Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Plants lack of power is going to make it tough at top level, is slick, but its always going to be hard beating top guys that dont fear your power.
Edgar Berlanga should be trying to get that Truax fight this year (truax needs some recover time, but idealy befor plant vs canelo happens). That way either he gets some rounds, or he blasts him out and draws comparisons to a world champ not stopping him.
Edgar Berlanga should be trying to get that Truax fight this year (truax needs some recover time, but idealy befor plant vs canelo happens). That way either he gets some rounds, or he blasts him out and draws comparisons to a world champ not stopping him.
Re: Caleb Plant vs. Caleb Truax - January 30, 2021
Truax is a huge step up for someone who hasn’t fought beyond rd 1.gregregegg wrote: ↑30 Jan 2021, 23:28 Plants lack of power is going to make it tough at top level, is slick, but its always going to be hard beating top guys that dont fear your power.
Edgar Berlanga should be trying to get that Truax fight this year (truax needs some recover time, but idealy befor plant vs canelo happens). That way either he gets some rounds, or he blasts him out and draws comparisons to a world champ not stopping him.