IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant isn’t impressed with how Canelo Alvarez has performed when facing elite-level opposition in his fights with Erislandy Lara, Floyd Mayeather Jr, and Gennadiy Golovkin.
As far as Plant is concerned, Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KOs) is 1-3 in his fights against those talented guys. In other words, Canelo should have three defeats on his resume, not one.
While Pant thinks it’s great that Canelo has been fighting many British fighters lately with his fights against Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith, and Rocky Fielding, he points out that he hasn’t done well when facing the high-caliber fighters.
WBA/WBC/WBO 168-lb champion Canelo is hoping to negotiate a fight with IBF champ Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) for September if possible.
It might not be easy, though, because Plant knows how badly Canelo wants to get his mitts on his IBF title to add the final belt to his collection of straps, so he’s likely to push to get a bigger payday than the $8 million that former WBO 168-lb champion Billy Joe received for his fight against the Mexican star last Saturday night at the A&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“He’s been fighting these UK level guys, and that’s cool, but as far as him fighting the top – Floyd Mayweather, Erislandy Lara, and Gennady Golovkin [twice] – he’s 1-3. He’s looked human in some of these bigger fights,” said Plant to the Pug and Copp Boxing show talking about Canelo.
In this case, Plant is speaking facts about Canelo. He definitely looked human in his fights with Mayweather, Golovkin, and Lara.
Also, many boxing fans would agree that Canelo got lucky with the judging in his fights against Lara and Golovkin because you can make an argument lost all three of those matches.
“I saw some things [in Canelo’s fight with Saunders] that I feel like I can capitalize on,” said Plant to PBC Podcast. “As soon as we get that fight done, I can show you in person.
“I feel like I’m the better fighter, and I have the better attributes. I feel like I have the skills and the full package to go in there and do what has to be done.
“I’m a lot faster than Billy Joe, my defense is a lot better, and I punch harder than Billy Joe, and I’m taller than Billy Joe.
“If we can sit down and work it out [contract], I feel the fans deserve that fight, and that’s what we should give them,” Plant said. “I can guarantee that the lead-up to the fight will be fireworks, and the fight itself will have fireworks.
“[I’m] someone that is chasing greatness and chasing legacy, and someone who is giving his all to the sport,” said Plant said about himself.
The flaws that we saw with Canelo last Saturday had to do with his conditioning and the fact that he could only throw one punch at a time. Canelo seemed incapable of throwing combinations like he used to.