Canelo Alvarez believes that beating IBF super middleweight champion Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) on Saturday will rate as the most significant victory of his 16-year professional career.
A win over unbeaten Plant will make WBA/WBC/WBO 168-lb champion Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KOs) a four-belt champion in the weight class, meaning that he would be making history.
Of course, it would likely mean a lot more if some of the champions at 168 were more talented than the fodder that Canelo has swept through to win his three titles.
To say that the champions that Canelo has beaten have been the weak paper variety is putting it lightly.
The champions Canelo has beaten at 168:
- Billy Joe Saunders
- Callum Smith
- Rocky Fielding
If Canelo had to earn his three titles by running the gauntlet against David Benavidez, David Morrell Jr, and Jermall Charlo, it would mean more to the fans.
Canelo rates beating Plant as #1 in career
“It’s personal for me, but at the same time, I’m very relaxed, and I’m waiting for the fight, and I’m just going to do my thing and win the fight,” said Canelo Alvarez.
“For me, being in the ring is really good. This is part of my life, and I enjoy it a lot. Maybe, why not?” said Canelo when asked if he’ll fight four times in 2022.
“Really high, maybe the most important my career for all the things surrounding the fight,” said Canelo. “He’s [Caleb Plant] is a skilled fighter, and he has a good jab, but it’s nothing new for me.
“It means a lot,” said Canelo when asked what a victory over Plant will mean for him on Saturday. “I’m going to be the first Mexican to accomplish this [becoming undisputed at 168],” said Canelo
Interestingly, Canelo is putting so much weight on his journey to become the undisputed super middleweight champion.
The boxing public isn’t as enthralled at Canelo’s pursuit of the four titles, as they’re more into watching quality fights, and he’s fallen short of that with his wins over Saunders, Callum, and Fielding. Those were all mismatches between Canelo and these three British fighters.
Hopefully, Canelo gets this thing over with on Saturday so he can start pursuing the fighters that the boxing world wants to see him in against, beginning with David Benenavdez. Thie fans don’t care if any titles are on the line for Canelo. vs. Benavidez. They want to see them fight.
If Canelo can get past the 24-year-old former two-time WBC super middleweight champion Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs), it would be interesting to see him step up to 175 and take on IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs).
Canelo needs to fight Beterbiev already because the Russian fighter is about to turn 37, and if he waits too much longer, he’ll be viewed as having waited until his opponent was an old man before fighting him.
Many boxing fans already think Canelo did that by waiting until Gennadiy Golovkin was 36 before fighting him. Golovkin had wanted to fight Canelo since he was 32 but had to wait four years before he finally got a chance to fight him.
Where to watch Canelo vs. Plant
Canelo vs. Plant will be shown on Showtime PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
