Three weeks to go. Caleb Plant or David Benavidez?

[WelshDevilRob]

Big super middleweight clash in Las Vegas on Saturday 25th, March.

WBC chucking an Interim World Super Middle title on-the-line. Fight will be Live on Showtime.Quality match-up this.

David Benavidez, 26, is 26-0, 23 KO's. He's beaten David Lemieux, Ronald Ellis, Roamer Alexis
Angulo, Anthony Dirrell & J'Leon Love by KO. He's a former WBC 168lbs champion from Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Caleb Plant, 30, is 22-1, 13 KOs. He's beaten Jose Uzcategui, Mike Lee, Vincent Feigenbutz, Caleb Truax and Anthony Dirrell. Caleb is a former IBF 168lbs champion, he lost to Saul Canelo. Caleb hails from Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Who wins this battle?

[Ledhed1]

Let's not kid ourselves. Canelo is the one and only champion at 168 no matter what the promoters, networks and alphabets try to get us to believe is at stake here. Winner gets a shot at Canelo; that's good enough for me. The question would be when, since Canelo's lined up for John Ryder for Cinco de Mayo and wants another shot at Bivol come September.

This is a pretty level matchup in size, quality of wins and stage of career. Plant is 4 years older. Two common opponents in Dirrell and Porky Medina. Impressive wins all round. Plant has the craftier skills. Benavidez the greater power, but still Plant has that wear-em-down, finish-em-late ability. Most of his elite level fights, though, have gone the distance. Opened some eyes with the Dirrell stoppage in his last fight.

Benavidez is a freight train. Only Gavril - twice - has taken him the distance at the 8 round level or higher going back nearly 9 years. Benavidez is easily the highest level challenger Canelo's not yet beaten at 168. Benavidez has his eyes focused in that direction but that doesn't mean he's looking past Plant. Benavidez has had his missteps - missing weight and the positive drug test - but at peak readiness he's a level above Plant. Should be a great fight between the top 2 contenders in the division. Benavidez keeps the pressure on Canelo to give him his shot but we may need to wait until next year for that one.

 

[LondonRingRules]

--- Bena likely plants Plant permanently. 

Only fly in the ointment is Bena a natural fatboy having to starve himself down beyond the normal range of starvation in this division. With Plant being something of a slick mover, could be he could wear Bena down without exposing himself to damage.

Still picking Bena though.

[Cableaddict]

Bena's clearly on a higher level than Plant.  (Than 99.9% of all boxers, to be fair.)

 

Still, Plant is tough and aggressive, and certainly not without skills.  I don't rule him out at all.  

If Bena foolishly tries to trade with Plant, in order to make some kind of a statement or whatever, then it's a tossup.

 If Bena fights smart, and uses longer-range, faster-but-lighter shots,  he should win most every round.    Will ego get the best of him?

[selij]

Beakavidez, if he can stop partying for a few weeks. 

[WelshDevilRob]

Words vs. results – David Benavidez fights Caleb Plant

by John Raspanti

Words.

They can be cheap or revealing.

Words can suggest arrogance or a lack of reality. Some boxers like to talk.

Take David Benavidez and Caleb Plant, who this fight Saturday at MGM Grand Arena in Sin City.

Last month Benavidez said to Plant, “When you’re on the ground bleeding, you’ll learn to respect a real fighter. I’m what you want to be. You’re a chump.”

Plant, not one to shy away from a retort, had said last month, “March 25th, I’m gonna be there. I’m gonna be on weight. I’m not gonna be on cocaine and I’m whooping your ass.”

Ouch.

Benavidez, a champion four years ago, had cocaine in his system in 2018. There went the world title. He regained it in the ring but lost it on the scales in 2020.

Plant poked the bear some more by calling Benavidez fat a few weeks ago.

Benavidez didn’t like it, “At the end of the day, they say I’m fat, they say I’m this, they say I’m that, they say I’m not dedicated. And when I get his ass in that ring on March 25th, I’m gonna break his f—in’ mouth. I’m gonna make him regret everything he said.”

Ok. Strong words.

So, who’s being real?

Read more: https://thegruelingtruth.com/boxing/words-vs-results-david-benavidez-fights-caleb-plant/

[LondonRingRules]

- - It's a genuine rivalry with both being former champs with Bena now holding the Interim version of the full WBC he used to hold.

Bena going after the guy, Canelo, who KOed Plant. Maybe not a Ben Hur rivalry, but after Plant revealed his Imelda Marcos glassed in Shoe Collection...well...🤡

[LondonRingRules]

--- Both made weight just under 168 limit, always a big hurdle for Bena. 

Fightnight>>>>>>>>and, now who you got?

[WelshDevilRob]

I've gone for Benavidez via latish stoppage. He seems to start slow, while Plant seems to fade.

[LondonRingRules]

*****SPOILERS******

 

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--- Didn't watch, but overwhelming commentary seems to be Plant running/stinking/holding first half of the fight, with Bena providing the bloody beat down for the 2nd, but unable to KO because of Plant holding. Bena wins a solid UD.

Plant holding in a 22' ring which is against WBC rules of a uniform 20' ring for title fights with Bayless allowing the excess John Ruiz style = ugh, I don't think I'll seek to watch this fight.

So on to Canelo Cinco de Mayo Mexican Homecoming in his hometown, and maybe Bena in Mex Independence Day in Vegas.

I believe Canelo is also wanting Bivol rematch in a Mexico City Bullring. That'd be a huge fight, but perhaps beyond what matchmakers can arrange.

 

[Cableaddict]

On 3/26/2023 at 6:09 AM, LondonRingRules said:

*****SPOILERS******

 

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--- Didn't watch, but overwhelming commentary seems to be Plant running/stinking/holding first half of the fight, with Bena providing the bloody beat down for the 2nd, but unable to KO because of Plant holding.

 

That's not at all fair to Plant.   He definitely held a lot,  but he also threw (and landed) a ton of crisp accurate shots.    

I might even have had Plant slightly ahead going into the 7th round.   - But Bena's chin was insane, and he started throwing and landing harder punches in the second half.

Plant kept coming, kept fighting,  but his face got turned into tomato soup by the end.

Bena the clear winner, but it was a great fight.