Caleb Plant is predicting a “spectacular” victory over the former two-time WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell this Saturday night on FOX Sports PPV. Dirrell and Plant will fight in the co-feature bout on the Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
This is the first step for Plant to try and earn a well-paying rematch with Canelo Alvarez. If it were up to Plant, he would have jumped straight into a second fight with Canelo and scooped up the millions that would come with it, but he’s got to earn the rematch.
If Plant is successful against the aging Dirrell, he will fight Jermall Charlo or David Benavidez next. At least that’s what he’s been saying, but it’s difficult to believe that Plant will fight either of those guys due to the high knockout risk involved.
Plant (21-1, 12 KOs) has been out of the ring for the last eleven months since his 11th round knockout loss at the hands of Canelo Alvarez last November, so there’s the possibility of some ring rust for the 30-year-old.
Dirrell (34-2-2, 25 KOs) has the kind of power that could give Plant problems if he can land enough of his shots before he starts gassing out in the second half of the contest.
With the 37-year-old Dirrell, you can’t know what you’re going to get from him because he’s getting up there in age, and he’s only fought four times in the last three years, and he’s only looked good on one of those occasions against second-tier fighter Marcos Hernandez.
Plant is saying he will send Dirrell into retirement on Saturday, but that’s not realistic. Even if Dirrell loses badly, he’s probably not going to retire because he still has enough ability to continue winning when matched against the right opposition.
Dirrell’s two losses have come against David Benavidez and a prime Badou Jack. There’s no shame in that. Benavidez would likely defeat Plant as well if he could fight against him, but whether the two ever meet up is doubtful.
“Everyone watching can expect to see me with my hand raised,” said Caleb Plant. “I’m not thinking past this fight. I have to focus on the task in front of me.”
Well, it’s obvious that the 30-year-old Plant has the better chance of winning this fight because, unlike Dirrell, he’s still in the zenith of his career. Plant chose Dirrell as his opponent for tune-up purposes, and that’s what this fight is all about.
“I’ll get to what’s next when the time is right,” said Plant. “I just want to stay fully focused on Saturday and winning that fight in spectacular fashion.
“Every fight is personal to me. That man standing across from me is standing in the way of me accomplishing my dreams,” said Plant.
If Plant loses to Dirrell, he can forget about his dreams of getting a rematch with Canelo Alvarez because it will not happen.
“Dirrell has never had a successful title defense in all of his fights and he won’t have one in his entire career. Because after Saturday night, he’s retiring,” said Plant.
