Via Sean Jones: David Benavidez & Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant will meet this Thursday, February 2, during a kick-off press conference in Los Angeles to discuss the March 25 matchup on pay-per-view channel Showtime at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The press conference takes place at 1:00 p.m. PT.
undefeated two-time WBC super-middleweight champion Benavidez (26-0.23 KOs) and former IBF Plant champion (22-1, 13 KOs) will face off on March 25 to face Canelo Alvarez for four his belt.
Benavidez will take his interim 168-lb WBC title against Plant in what is considered a cat-and-mouse match with Caleb moving around a lot around the 22 ft ring, trying to escape pressure from David.
It will be similar to the kind of fighting we saw from Plant in his last match against Anthony Dirrell last October. Plant spent most of the fight, moving and moving, trying to be beaten down by the stronger Dirrell puncher.
At times, the fight is barely watchable because Plant is basically on the run from 38-year-old Dirrell. In the ninth round, however, Plant stopped moving long enough to deliver a hard left hook that caught Dirrell by surprise, knocking him down coldly.
The factory needs this war
“I’m glad he had such a big game and I’m glad Plant decided to go up against him,” former coach Abel Sanchez said. Artist KO Sports about David Benavidez facing Caleb Plant on March 25 on Showtime PPV.
Well, the only reason Plant is in this fight is that if he doesn’t fight Benavidez, his chances of a rematch with Canelo Alvarez will be slim and zero. There’s no reason why Canelo would voluntarily let Plant rematch after knocking him out in 2021.
Plant knows that no one else for him to fight is respected enough for him to earn a rematch with Canelo other than Benavidez.
There are only two famous boxers at 160 Gennadiy Golovkin & Jermall Charlo, and none of them will fight Plant. At the age of 168, the only famous fighter Plant could go up against for a second fight with Canelo was Benavidez.
“Also, it was a good fight for Plant as well.,” said Sanchez. “Plant needs this kind of fighting to get him back on that big stage. Plant fought a guy on the way out, as we had to do as a coach and as a manager to find the opponent that would give you the best benefits,” Sanchez said of the battle. Plant’s win over 38-year-old Anthony Dirrell last October.
“Dirrell, four, five or six years ago would have been a different war than it is now. Plant is a very good fighter, with good hand speed. I’m so happy for Stephen [‘Breadman’ Edwards is in his corner now because that’s a guy that is knowledgable about the whole sport, the whole sport,” said Sanchez.
Six to ten years ago, Plant would have been in trouble fighting Anthony Dirrell, because he was a special fighter in his prime. Up until the knockout in the ninth, the fight was essentially even, with Dirrell pressuring Plant, and chasing him all around the ring in a boring fight.
If you’re a fan that likes watching runners, this was the fight for you because Plant was taking it to another level, running nonstop and looking scared.
We can only hope that Plant doesn’t fight that way against Benavidez because that’s going to be hard on the eyes, and the boxing fans that are paying to watch it on Showtime PPV won’t be happy seeing that kind of a contest.
“So if he’s in his corner, he’s going to get a little more input on that higher level, but he’s fighting a guy [Benavidez] very hard to beat at this stage,” Sanchez said of Plant. “When he gets a little older and undisciplined, maybe it will be a little easier, but at this point it will be difficult to beat David Benavidez. Anyone except Bivol.
Benavidez will set a trap
“Bivol and him [Benavidez], that fight I would pay to see,” Sanchez said. “David and Canelo will be a good fight because of what Canelo is for me in our history,” Sanchez said. “But Bivol and Benavidez will be a fierce fight. The Bivol fight is the one that David is more likely to lose.
“He and Canelo, and I said a long time ago, that’s someone that a year or two ago, I said Golovkin, David Benavidez and Beterbiev, before Bivol beat Canelo, would be those people. in my opinion, because of their style, because of their pressure style.
“If Golovkin had fought the way I wanted in the second or first game consistently, it would have been a different result. But you have to press Canelo; you can’t let Canelo do what you want. And from what I understand, I didn’t witness the fight, but what I was told, Bivol did exactly the same thing.
“He pressed him, he pressed him, and he pressed him,” Sanchez said of Bivol overwhelming Canelo Alvarez with his pressure last May. “I don’t mean throwing punches, but controlling the fight. If you let Canelo do the work, he’ll be good at it.
“So the hardest fight for David will be Bivol. The match against Canelo would be 50-50 for me, but I would love to watch both matches.
“David is very good at setting traps. David is very good at setting traps. David is very particular about planning what he wants to do next. The only problem I see with David is that he’s indecisive when it’s too easy for him, and in his mind, it’s too easy for him in the ring. So he’s a bit lazy.
“Plant is a great fighter, so he’s going to have to keep the p’s & q’s there. I’ve only seen David take him down bit by bit, bit by bit and maybe not a devastating kill in the late game, but I think he stopped him late, or it was kind of a game. 116-112 or 117-112,” says Sánchez.
