It took Caleb Plant 21 fights to reach the top of boxing’s super middleweight ladder.
And despite his first professional loss to No. 1-ranked Canelo Alvarez in November, the Ashland City native has his sights set on another top-five opponent: David Benavidez, ranked No. 2.
Although Benavidez’s next fight will be against David Lemieux in the spring, Plant (21-1) said in a recent interview with ESNews that a future fight against Benavidez, one he claims has tried to finalize a few times, looks inevitable at this point. indicate.
“It seems every time I try to make this fight happen, his promoter Sampson [Lewkowicz] said, ‘not now,’ “Plant noted. “[Benavidez] tested positive for cocaine; he lost his belt on the scale. This fight will happen. I know this fight will happen.
The bad blood between the two top-ranked 168-pound fighters goes back a few years. Plant apparently rubbed Benavidez the wrong way after he was so outspoken about Benavidez’s positive cocaine drug test and subsequent four-month suspension in 2018, which resulted in him being stripped of his title.
Benavidez (25-0) also alleged that Plant, the world’s No. 3 ranked super middleweight, punched his brother Jose in the gym after a practice session and sparked a fight between the two fields.
“I know I’m going to end up getting Caleb Plant”, Benavidez noted last month in an interview with FightHype.com. “…He’s all talkative and doesn’t bite.” That’s why he got [expletive] knocked out and [was] made to look like a [expletive] against Canelo Alvarez.
“The problem with Caleb Plant is that he has no power. He has good little pop shots, but that can only take you so far. Canelo was dominating him at every turn. I [thought] it was only a matter of time before he was knocked out, and he did.
Plant suffered his first professional 11th-round knockout loss to Alvarez on Nov. 6 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The loss ended Plant’s 21-game winning streak and he lost his IBF super middleweight title. It was his fourth fight as champion.
Although Plant’s next fight has yet to be announced, the 29-year-old has revealed he’s been training in the gym again and with a few things “on the table” he’s aiming for an in-ring return. summer here.
Follow Michael Gallagher on Twitter @MGsports_
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