In a frantic scene a few weeks back, Canelo Alvarez, the WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight champion, came face to face with IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant. The faceoff was in anticipation towards the two men meeting on November 6th in Las Vegas in a huge pay per view fight that will tell us who reigns supreme at 168 pounds.
The face-to-face encounter with Plant was so intense that the two men nearly came to blows, as Alvarez shoved Plant, who swung in retaliation. During a recent appearance with Brian Custer on his Last Stand podcast, Alvarez spoke about the encounter with Plant and several scenarios related to their unification fight.
Alvarez has a record of 56-1-2 with 38 knockouts and understands the importance of yet another title fight.
“It means a lot for my legacy,” said Alvarez. “This fight is really important for us, for me, for Mexico, for the fans, for me team, because I’m going to be the first Mexican-American fighter to be undisputed champion. So, for me it’s really important because at the end of the day I just want to make history.”
Alvarez reflected on his initial face off with Plant. After shoving Plant, Alvarez anticipated his return salvo, and countered with his own punch.
“I just [took off my glasses] because I want to see the eyes good. But he don’t take his glasses off so, it doesn’t matter. But when I push him, you see when he’s coming, I just see something, ‘he’s gonna throw something or do something’ so that’s why,” said Canelo. “The thing [that] bother me when he said ‘you motherfucker’ — for us that means a lot. So, for Mexicans it means a lot so that’s why for me he crossed the line and that’s why I push him.”
Plant recently made a road trip up north to the Bay Area, California, to work and gain some knowledge from former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward. Some wonder if that will give Plant an edge, but Canelo obviously is unbothered.
“I really don’t care. I really don’t care, at the end of the day it’s me and him so I don’t care who train him and what he do, I’m gonna be in the ring with him and do my things and I have more experience, I have skills, and I’m gonna show that. And I will, soon,” stated Canelo.
Plant has insisted that Canelo has trouble with boxers, citing the Erislandy Lara and Billy Joe Saunders fights, but Canelo claims he has grown as a fighter.
“A long time ago,” said Canelo. “We’ll see, but that’s a long time ago but I’m way different now. Way different fighter now so we’ll see November 6th. I’m more mature, more strong, more complete fighter with more experience. I’m a complete fighter now, I’m at my peak. The first rounds is going to be difficult because of his style, but I know, I know how to break down that style. So maybe after five rounds I’m gonna do my things.”
Canelo compared Plant to Saunders.
“Yeah, same but different because Billy Joe Saunders southpaw and Caleb Plant is orthodox. I think it’s going to be maybe a little easy for me,” stated Canelo.
Canelo isn’t thinking about the future and is instead locked in on Plant.
“We don’t know. We just have this goal, we just have this goal in a short time to unify these belts and after this we don’t know. We going to rest a little bit and then we’ll see. But I want to do the best fights out there. I just want to fight the fights that people want and make history, so that’s the only thing I want,” said Canelo.
