Via Brian Webber: Anthony Dirrell says he is aiming to retire after his ninth knockout loss to Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant on October 15.
Former two-time WBC super-middleweight champion Dirrell (34-3-2, 25 KOs) wants boxing fans to know that his defeat to Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) wasn’t the reason why at Why is he considering retiring? Plant wasn’t the one to retire Dirrell.
At this point in Dirrell’s career, he feels there aren’t many opportunities left for the 38-year-old boxer.
He clearly doesn’t want to fight for his own change, but he realizes that his age makes fighting as difficult as he wants. Apparently, the 9th round KO loss to Sweethands Plant didn’t help Dirrell’s situation.
Dirrell felt that the fight was much closer than it was for the three judges who scored it to go into the ninth round. He felt that it was a close fight, and he was caught with a left hook from Plant at the same time he was firing his own shot, and the rest is history.
Plant disrespected Dirrell by pretending he was digging and throwing it on him while he was still unconscious on the floor.
That move is the lowest level of the Plant, and what happens around will happen. Sooner or later, Plant will be defeated again, and he probably wouldn’t like it if his opponent took the same thing he used on Dirrell.
Plant should be fine as long as he avoids fighting the best, but if he tries to compete with someone as good as David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo, David Morrell or Canelo Alvarez, he will most likely be stopped .
“I haven’t found it yet. I’m leaning towards retirement a little more, honest,” Anthony Dirrell told Fighthype when asked about his plans after his ninth knockout loss to Caleb Plant on October 15.
“I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. I don’t even need that fight. I just want to fight. I’m 38 years old. I can’t fight for nothing. It’s about my health. That’s how people get attention.
“Caleb didn’t send me into retirement; I promise you that. I will do it anyway. I’m 38 years old. Caleb is unlikely to have retired me. He can’t do that; no body can. Only I can do that.
“Their judges did not [think the fight was close]. I think the fight is also almost hell. It went back and forth. He did everything we thought he would.
“He hit his punches a lot more accurately than I thought he would. Also, the punch he caught on me was a good one.
“We got some boos there, but people have to realize that’s how Caleb fights. Caleb is a boxer. He won’t go in there and argue with you. He knows he can’t just sit there and argue with me.
“You can’t believe that [brawling] from someone that box. Caleb is a good boxer.
‘I told Al [Haymon] before I fought him, ‘This could be the last one. I’m not sure.’ I must find a way to secure the war. I’m the oldest guy up there.
“I don’t know yet, but that’s what I’m aiming for. I’m trying to give it a little more time, so my head doesn’t go wrong again. I’m 38 years old. What can I do in boxing at 38? “ Dirrell said.
