David Benavidez on How Plant Beef Originated
On September 28, David “Red Flag” Benavidez has an important title fight against Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell. The two will meet at the Staples Center where Benavidez will attempt to recapture his former WBC super-middleweight title currently in the possession of Dirrell.
Even though this is a very meaningful fight, there has been very little static between the Red Flag and the Dog.
In fact, both men have displayed an enormous amount of mutual respect for one another. Outside of each one stating they will be the ultimate victor in the contest, there has not been much to report on.
Ironically, the on-going friction between Benavidez and IBF super middleweight champion Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant has remained glued to the headlines.
Unlike Dirrell, Benavidez holds clear contempt for Plant and is never bashful about showing it. If the skillful fighter from Phoenix, Arizona can best Dirrell, without question Benavidez v Plant is one of the hottest fights to be made in the division.
Not only is there the ready-made rivalry and back story, the match would serve as a significant title unification as well.
THE ORIGIN STORY
In a recent interview conduct with Fight Hype the Red Flag provided a brief history lesson to explain how and why this visceral animosity came to be in the first place.
“He had said something about my brother and we seen him at the gym, and my brother, you know, he’s a street dude.
“He likes all that. So my brother goes up to him and their talking shit to each other and my brother is pushing him.
“But he is behind his trainer […] Caleb Plant like sucker punches my brother but then my friend right here punches Caleb in his mouth too and then his trainer starts getting into it […] but that is where it all got started.”
BUILT FOR PRIME TIME
Since that fateful encounter, the Sweet Hands versus Red Flag discord has become one of the most visible and densely covered rivalries in the sport.
If both remain undefeated, Benavidez feels that pairing them in the ring would provide personal satisfaction, as well as making great business sense. Let’s hope that the two can settle their differences in the ring sooner rather than later.
“Obviously he’s still there, you know. He has a belt. So as long as he still has a belt he’s going to be a target that I want to get to. You know what I mean?
“Obviously, if I get my belt back, only because of the history that’s been there we can do a big build up to the fight and be trash talking a lot and would people love it.
“People love to see people talk shit, you know what I mean? As you can see with Terence Crawford and my brother […] and that’s genuine hate, we don’t like each other.
“So I think that would be a big fight.”
3kingsboxing will continue to report on this cantankerous and on-going rivalry.
By: Bakari Simpson
