By Matt Lieberman: Canelo Alvarez’s trainer Eddy Reynoso is upset with Caleb Plant after he sounded off in labeling the Mexican superstar a “drug cheat” during their recent press conference a week ago in Los Angeles.
In addition to trashing Canelo for testing positive for a banned substance several years ago, Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) brought up WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez getting popped during a recent drug test by VADA.
Some boxing fans blame Reynoso for his fighters in his San Diego, California gym testing positive for banned substances. Reynoso points out that his job is to train the fighters, and that’s solely what he does, and he’s not in control of other things that don’t involve training.
Reynoso is getting WBA/WBC/WBO super middleweight champion Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KOs) for what some boxing fans believe is the biggest fight of his career against IBF champion Plant on November 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
All four 168-lb titles will be fought for in the Canelo vs. Plant fight, and the winner will be the first-ever undisputed champion for the super middleweight division.
Reynoso: Canelo has faced better fighters than Plant
“Caleb Plant has a good jab, strong legs, and he does what’s convenient for him and his body and he keeps his distance,” said Canelo’s trainer Eddy Reynoso to Fighthype.
“But we’ve faced a lot of different fighters that have better ability, and who are stronger and faster inside the ring. We feel confident in our training in being able to take him on in the fight.
“Caleb Plant, what bothers me about him is that he is crucifying all the trainers, but he himself knows what it takes to build a gym,” said Reynoso. “What bothers me about some of the haters is that people who talk don’t know what it takes to build a gym.
“The people who comment don’t know the kind of team it takes to build a fighter. This is a sport, and this is a business, and I’m happy with what we’ve built here,” said Reynoso.
Canelo has fought talented fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Gennadiy Golovkin x 2, Erislandy Lara, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, and Austin Trout.
Some of those guys accomplished more in their careers than what the 28-year-old Plant has done up until now.
Whether any of them could have beaten a talented fighter like Plant in their prime is debatable. Plant would have the size advantage over them, and he’s highly technical.
Eddy says Canelo did a hair follicle test
“I was really bothered about the allegations that Caleb Plant was going, and he was the first one to throw the blows on social media in the interviews,” said Reynoso.
“He’s brought up all these past accusations about clenbuterol, and Saul has been proven innocent. We’ve done the hair follicle test.
“We’ve taken the necessary steps to clear our name, and here he [Plant] is trying to pick one little detail,” Reynoso said. “It really undervalues the work that we do here as champions.
“It really bothers us, and it doesn’t matter. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing and keep moving forward and be strong.
“What bothers me is when people talk, they put me the trainer at the head of everything. That’s not the case. I am here to teach them how to box and box well,” said Reynoso.
At this point, many boxing fans have already made up their minds about Reynoso, Canelo, and the fighters at his gym.
As long as the fighters test clean in the future, the fans will eventually forget about all the drug stuff Plant has been bringing up.
But if Reynoso’s fighters continue to test positive for banned substances, many fans are going to view him as being part of it.
Canelo tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol in 2018 and was given a six-month suspension. The hair follicle was done afterward.
