By Dan Ambrose: David Benavidez & Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant are officially set for March 25th for their WBC super middleweight title eliminator on Showtime PPV at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Mike Coppinger is reporting the news about the Benavidez vs. Plant fight being a done deal. Some boxing fans won’t be happy that the fight will be on pay-per-view because there’s no belt at stake, and former IBF super middleweight champion Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) is only one fight removed from being knocked out by Canelo Alvarez in November 2021.
Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) will have the opportunity to prove Plant’s new trainer Stephen ‘Breadman’ Edwards, wrong, with all the bold talk he’s been doing about his belief that ‘Sweethands’ will win this fight, possibly even by knockout. You can argue that Edwards will motivate Benavidez into doing a number on Plant, similar to what Canelo did.
‘Breadman’ won’t be the one in the ring with Benavidez. It’ll Plant, and he’s got his work cut out for him because Benavidez is not an older fighter like Caleb’s last opponent, 38-year-old Anthony Dirrell, who he knocked out in nine rounds and then proceeded to celebrate by pretending to shovel dirt on top of him while he was unconscious on the canvas.
The winner of the Benavidez vs. ‘Sweethands’ Plant fight will be mandatory to WBC 168-lb champion Canelo Alvarez, but it doesn’t guarantee that the famous redheaded superstar will choose to fight whoever emerges from that clash with their hand raised. Canelo has ruled out fighting Mexican fighters, which would automatically disqualify Benavidez, even though he’s an American.
David Benavidez and Caleb Plant will meet March 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime PPV, sources tell ESPN. Big-time fight at 168 pounds.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 18, 2023
The build-up for the Benavidez-Plant fight should be interesting, and hopefully, the match-up lives up to the expectations.
In Plant’s last fight against Anthony Dirrell in October, he spent much of the contest running around the ring, forcing the 38-year-old former two-time WBC 168-lb champion to chase him around the ring.
One big reason why Plant knocked Dirrell out is that he got wreckless while chasing and left himself open when Caleb suddenly stopped moving for a split second and threw a left hook that caused him cleanly.
“David Benavidez and Caleb Plant will meet in a long-awaited fight on March 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 168-pound bout will be a PBC on Showtime PPV,” said Mike Coppinger to ESPN about the WBC super middleweight title eliminator between David Benavidez and Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant.
