By: Hans Themistode
On the outside looking in, Canelo Alvarez appeared just fine. The pound-for-pound star sauntered his way to the ring late last night at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was loudly greeted by a vociferous crowd.
Before the opening bell rang, Alvarez seemed cool, calm, and collected. However, as his undisputed showdown against previously undefeated belt holder, Caleb Plant, unfolded, Alvarez’s emotions began boiling over.
Time and time again, Alvarez found himself chasing Plant around the ring. Even when the Mexican star appeared to have his man cornered, the 29-year-old Plant easily maneuvered his way out of harm’s way.
Throughout it all, Alvarez kept his poker face on as he continued to hunt and stalk Plant all through the night. With that said, in a moment of pure candor, Alvarez reveals that he grew more and more agitated as he swung at nothing but air in the first half of their contest.
“To be honest with you, yea, I was a little frustrated,” said Alvarez during his post-fight interview. “Especially in the first five rounds.”
Despite his exasperation, Alvarez remained calm. While Plant proved to be one of the more elusive fighters he’s ever come up against, the Nashville, Tennessee native began slowing down considerably in the second half of their contest. The consistent body attack of Alvarez forced Plant to breathe heavily through his mouth and the fast feet he’s become known for were nonexistent.
As Alvarez began catching up with his man, he landed thudding blows as a result. At times, Plant firmly stood his ground and attempted to go toe to toe with the heavy-hitting Alvarez. In round nine, in particular, Plant registered a ton of success. He blasted Alvarez with a five-punch combination during the midway point. He then followed that up with a strong jab at the end of the round that snapped the head back of Alvarez.
Still, Plant’s breathing labored. As he became a more stationary target, Alvarez took full advantage in the 11th. He pinned his man against the ropes, connected with a strong right hand, before dropping Plant with an uppercut. Moments later, after crawling to his feet, Alvarez closed the show with a string of hard shots that saw Plant hit the deck again.
With both the win and all four major world titles at 168 pounds in Alvarez’s possession, the Mexican star reflects on the ebbs and flows of his showdown against Plant.
“In the second half of the fight, it was exactly how we envisioned it. In the end, we came out with the win. That’s all that matters really. In the end, even though the frustrations were there in the first five rounds, the second part, was ideal.”