Paulie Malignaggi wants to see David Morrell defend his WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight title against former IBF champ Caleb Plant to test him.
It’s a fight where both guys can put themself in position for a big match-up against undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez, the two most popular fighters in the 168-lb division.
The 31-year-old Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) has lost two out of his last three fights and is now a gatekeeper in the division, one of the other fighters.
For Plant to reinsert himself in the Canelo equation, he needs a win over Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) because he’s not going to get a rematch against him or Benavidez without a big win over Morrell or Jaime Munguia.
The 26-year-old Cuban Morrell needs a win over a notable fighter Plant, as he has no notable wins on his five-year professional career. Morrell is not going to get a chance to fight Canelo or Benavidez without a victory over a well-known fighter, and Plant is perfect for him.
Malignaggi’s Bold Pick: Morrell over Canelo?
“I would kind of favor Morrell over Plant, but I’d kind of want to see how he handles Plant if he could handle Plant,” said boxing expert Paulie Malignaggi to Probox TV YouTube channel about a hypothetical fight between WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion David Morrell and former IBF champ Caleb Plant.
“It’s not a forgone conclusion that he beats Plant, but I’d kind of favor more Morrell beating Plant. If that were to happen, I’d still be curious to see how Benavidez is handled by Morrell if he’s handled by Morrell.
“Automatically, you start to wonder. Plant is the only guy out of these top guys that have fought the top two [Benavidez and Canelo Alvarez]. I’d probably pick Morrell to beat Canelo at this point. I’d want to see Morrell and Plant. I’d be interested in seeing how that plays out,” said Malignaggi.
Algieri’s Analysis: Gas Tank Matters
“It makes a lot of sense. Caleb Plant has already been to the top. He’s the old man in the division at 31,” said boxing expert Chris Algieri. “David Morrell is a guy that is knocking on that door. He wants to get the upper echelon fights. I think that’s a perfect transition. You’re going on the physical gifts and amateur talents of Morrell vs. the experience of Caleb Plant.
“David Morrell, he’s one of those guys when I watch him, I’m like, ‘He’s scary good.’ He’s good, he’s big, he’s strong, and he’s got a good gas tank. That’s one thing that sticks out in my mind is Caleb Plant’s gas tank,” said Algieri.
