By: Hans Themistode
For months on end, Caleb Plant listened to his naysayers dismiss his chances against Canelo Alvarez. The two clashed with all of the super middleweight marbles on the line on November 6th, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada earlier this year.
Though Alvarez stated time and time again that Plant was in over his head, the former IBF 168 pound titlist proved otherwise. In the early goings, Plant used an extremely tactical game plan, boxing and moving, while using short offensive spurts to string together combinations.
Despite his success, Plant ultimately succumbed to the power of the Mexican star in the 11th round. In the opinion of the 29-year-old Nashville, Tennessee native, their contest was up for grabs before things came to a sudden end.
“It could’ve been 6-4 either way,” said Plant to a group of reporters. “It could’ve been 5-5. I feel like I was winning a lot of those rounds. I know I put up a great fight but I got caught in the end.”
The dramatic ending Plant eludes to, came after putting together one of his more stronger rounds. The slick-hitting star dug his feet into the ground in the 10th and blasted away at Alvarez while both men stood in the middle of the ring. Still, even with the momentum firmly in his corner, Alvarez changed the tide in the following period.
With Plant backed into a corner in the penultimate round, Alvarez landed a crushing left hand and then quickly followed up his attack with a left uppercut. Plant, as a result, hit the deck for the first time in his career. A few seconds later, Alvarez rushed over to his foe, landing several unanswered shots until referee Russell Mora waved off their contest.
Even with their contest taking place a month ago, Plant can remember the fight-ending sequence. As well as what he did wrong.
“I was pulling out and I had my hands tight but it kind of came to the inside.”
From the moment Plant signed his name on the dotted line to face Alvarez, he explained that becoming an undisputed world champion has always been his lifelong dream. While he believes he was mere minutes away from having that dream realized, he refuses to sulk on the sidelines for an elongated period of time.
In terms of when the former titlist can expect to be back in the ring, he’s unable to reveal a specific date. That said, Plant assures everyone that he won’t spend much time licking his wounds.
“By the first quarter of next year. I want to keep things moving.”