Caleb Plant: We Want a Unification with Callum Smith
In the mind of IBF super middleweight champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant (20-0, 12 KO’s), he is the best of the best in the division. He is fresh off the second defense of his title, contested against Vincent Feigenbutz (31-3, 28 KO’s), which ended in tenth round stoppage. When asked if he would pursue a potential big money fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KO’s) in May, Plant inflexibly said no.
“I’m not fighting in May. It’s not because I’m ducking, it’s not because I’m scared…I’m not scared of someone who comes from weight divisions below me.”
REFUSE TO BE PRESSURED
On the one hand, he would love to fight the Mexico superstar in a high stakes unification match. Yet, on the other hand, Sweethands is unwilling to combat such a skillful adversary so quickly after just completing the arduous Feigenbutz camp.
If they could fight later in the year, then the proud Nashville native would jump at the chance to sign, as he explained in an exclusive interview with Fight Hub TV.
“I don’t need to rest from the fight, and most times you don’t need to rest from the fight. It’s the training camp that you rest from, all the miles, all the sparring rounds, all the sprints and making weight.”
“…I do a disciplined camp, so for me to do that for as long as I have and then take these two weeks in February off and then train March and April just to fight May 2, anyone who knows boxing knows that’s not how it works.”
“Well everyone used to fight five or six times, yeah but everyone stopped doing that too and that’s for a reason. And at the same time, everyone was doing it so it was an even playing field. If it’s just me doing it, then it’s not an even playing field.”
SENDING OUT INVITES
So the logical next question to be asked is, if not Canelo, who will Caleb Plant place his professional cross-hairs on next? There has been a long-standing personal rift between himself and WBC super middleweight champion David “Red Flag” Benavidez (22-0, 19 KO’s).
Unfortunately, Benavidez’s own promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz , has already said in the name of letting the bout grow, he has no intentions on penning that prizefight now. So that just leaves WBO super-middleweight champion “Superb” Billy Joe Saunders (29-0, 14 KO’s) and WBA super world super-middleweight champion Callum “Mundo” Smith (27-0, 19 KO’s).
Although, the recent scuttlebutt throughout the industry is Alvarez will face Saunders on his upcoming May 2 dance date in Las Vegas. If this proves to be true, then Plant did extended an offer to the best available option – Callum Smith.
“Well, me and my team over the weekend have sent out a legitimate offer to Callum Smith to try to make a unification fight. And we also sent out a legitimate offer, if that doesn’t fall through, to GGG to try to make since he moved up to 168. So I want big fights, I want fights that the fans will want. I want unification fights, but I’m just not going to be taken advantage of with silly stuff like fighting so close back to back.”
“But we’ve sent an offer out to try to make a unification bout with Callum Smith. The ball is in their court, so if they want to fight me they can get back to us. Same thing with GGG.”
Either of these two match-ups would be a big deal and meaningful in the division and sport. It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, comes from this combustible situation.
By: Bakari Simpson
