Sunday, November 7, 2021

Boxing Challenge: Canelo Cuts Down Plant

    Canelo Alvarez knocked out Caleb Plant in the eleventh round to add the IBF title to the other three titles that he already held entering the fight and become the undisputed super middleweight champion.

Plant, like Billy Joe Saunders before him, did have some early success boxing off his back foot as Alvarez started in his usual slow manner against world-class opponents.

But I didn't think the fight was as close as some did (on Twitter, I saw some that had the fight very close and even an occasional person that had Plant leading into the eleventh) and with Alvarez continuing to attack and pound Plant to the body, it appeared that the biggest question would be could Plant make it to the final bell.

Canelo knocked Plant down with a snapping right uppercut and after Plant rose courageously but hurt, Canelo chased Plant around the ring with Plant running away with a hop that brought to mind the hop of Joe Frazier just before he was stopped by George Foreman in 1973 and fired a volley of shots that sent Plant tumbling to the floor where the fight was then stopped.

I had Alvarez ahead 97-93 at the time of the stoppage.

For Canelo, he has several options for his next fights and all are of interest.

Should Canelo decide to work with PBC, a fight with David Benavidez would be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and Benavidez has the size of Plant combined with the power Plantt lacks, so that would be a fight I'd love to see.

PBC also could offer a match with WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, but Charlo has been more interested in talking about strong competition than actually fighting them.

Still, the cash-in for a Canelo fight would likely be too much for Charlo to turn away.

Canelo seems to like Eddie Hearn and Matchroom but their top option would be a third fight with IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo seems to have next to no interest in that.

WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade would love a shot but he's a mover and Canelo may want to face someone that will exchange with him after fighting boxers in Saunders and Plant in his last two fights.

Matchroom could also offer WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol but Bivol isn't the most exciting fighter and unless Bivol wants to drop to 168 or Canelo wants to rise to light heavyweight, that's unlikely.

Should Canelo be willing to work with ESPN/Top Rank, the fight that many fans would love to see is a fight against WBC and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and might be the biggest test of all-a naturally larger man and the best puncher in the division.

This may be the most unlikely fight to make as Canelo's track record shows that while he is willing to fight everyone, he will do so when at his best advantage as he did making Golovkin wait for both their first fight and second affair.

WBO light heavyweight champion Joe Smith is another big puncher that might make a fun fight against Canelo and wouldn't run from him but Canelo's boxing skills would likely be too much for Smith.

As for Plant, while he proved he did have world-class skills, his lack of competition didn't prepare him well for a fight of this magnitude and I would guess he will go back to PBC for lopsided affairs.

Plant against David Benavidez would make sense with two talented young fighters but Plant wasn't interested in putting his fight with Canelo in jeopardy so I can't imagine Benavidez putting his chance in peril now.

My best bet would be almost used up veteran Anthony Dirrell, who scored an undercard win against journeyman Marcos Hernandez, for Plant's next foe.

Dirrell likely won't catch Plant, would give him a few lessons that Plant should have already learned, has a recognizable name, and someone Plant would likely defeat. 


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