Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant throw punches at press conference
The press conference is typically to help build up the fight. Fans often expect both fighters to get face-to-face and trade words before looking towards the camera for pictures. Sometimes things get out of hand and a wild melee takes place. That is what happened when unified super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (56-1-2, 38ko) and IBF champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant (21-0, 12ko) were face to face for the upcoming undisputed showdown.
Canelo Alvarez started his unification journey by defeating WBA ‘super’ champion Callum Smith, while claiming the vacant WBC title as a bonus. Next, he would claim the WBO championship from Billy Joe Saunders after the Brit suffered a broken orbital bone, rendering him unable to continue. Immediately afterward, Alvarez called for the fight with Caleb Plant, who held the last piece of the puzzle.
THE ROLLERCOASTER FIGHT FOR UNDISPUTED
The road to making this undisputed fight was not an easy one. There were several bumps and detours before both sides reached a deal. While trying to make the fight for September, for the traditional Mexican Independence Weekend, negotiations ceased when it seemed that one of the demands from Team Canelo was a bridge too far for the top brass at Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions.
Plant revealed that Team Alvarez demanded the guaranteed purse of $40 million for the undisputed fight be the same in the event there is a replacement fighter. It seemed to have killed the deal. Canelo would walk away looking at possibly fighting WBA “super’ light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
As fate would have it, cooler heads prevailed, and Alvarez doubled back, resuming talks for the undisputed fight. The boxing community was buzzing after hearing such a historical event, crowning the first-ever super middleweight undisputed champion, was a go.
THE MELEE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE
With everything that has happened during the lengthy negotiations, both champions undoubtedly were frustrated, and it showed at the press conference to kick off the promotion for the fight.
During the face-off, a huge melee occurred as Alvarez uncharacteristically shoved Plant. Feeling irate, Sweethands walked up and took a swing at Canelo, which appeared to miss. Alvarez retaliated, causing a cut below the right eye on the cheek of Plant.
Social media is on fire with everyone looking to know what happened. What caused the Mexican star to flip out like that? During an interview on Morning Kombat, Alvarez revealed what triggered the brawl.
“He was talking about my mom. He says, ‘you motherfucker’. So you pass the line right there, and that is why I pushed him.”
By: Garrisson Bland
