Home Boxing News Caleb Plant receives offer for Canelo Alvarez fight

Caleb Plant receives offer for Canelo Alvarez fight

Caleb Plant. Photo credit: Stephanie Trapp/TGB Promotions

An offer has been made to IBF super middleweight champion Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant 21-0 (12) to face WBC, WBA and WBO counterpart Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 56-1-2 (38) for all the marbles ay 168-pounds on September 11.

“We put an offer into Caleb Plant’s team and we’re discussing that,” promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing said to Boxing Social.

“It’s no secret that PBC would rather do that fight on Fox. If they would, we’ve had no problems with looking at offers for that fight as well. We’ve had an offer to do that fight on DAZN and we’ve made an offer to Plant’s team.

“I’d be surprised if Al Haymon would stop Caleb Plant from taking that fight [with Canelo on DAZN]. It’s an unbelievable opportunity.

“As I said, we’ve made that offer, that initial offer, and hopefully we’ll hear back from them today and see if they want to make that fight for September because I’ve confirmed that’s still the number one choice for Canelo Alvarez.”

The backup plan for Alvarez is to move up a division to face either WBC and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev 16-0 (16) or WBA kingpin Dmitry Bivol 18-0 (11).

But Hearn stressed their first preference is the Plant fight for all four major titles at 168-pounds.

“Hopefully, we have conversations today regarding that,” Hearn continued. “What I said to Saul and Eddy [Reynoso] is, ‘You obviously are the star and the A-side in this fight. You have to take control of the situation.’ We just have to make sure that we fight in September because he’s been on a tremendous run.

“For a pound-for-pound during the pandemic, to box three times in six months. If he fights in September, that’ll be four fights in ten months. It’s an incredible run, and he’s ready to go.

“If the Plant fight isn’t possible on September the 11th or the 18th, we must fight. He wants to fight a champion.

“I’ve talked to him about a voluntary defence and it doesn’t really get him going. He’d rather do something that people don’t think he should.

“A step up to light heavyweight, you’ve got the two names, although you’ve got [WBO champion] Joe Smith as well, the two names that stand out are Beterbiev and Bivol.

“Those are two tremendous fights. We have a close relationship with Bivol. Beterbiev is with Top Rank.

“I believe he was planning on fighting Joe Smith, but we’ll have to see what happens there.

“But I do believe if the Plant fight doesn’t materialize, you’ll probably see him move up and fight one of those champions because that’s what he wants to do.

“I do expect him to fight another champion at 175 if the Plant fight can’t be made.”