By: Hans Themistode
Caleb Plant should hold his head up high, even in defeat.
Even with the 29-year-old suffering the first loss of his career at the hands of Canelo Alvarez this past weekend, his name and stature took a considerable leap forward. In the eyes of many, Plant was simply overmatched and in over his head. And while he ultimately came up short, he showed a ton of heart and incredible skill.
Now, after dropping his IBF super middleweight title, the rebuilding process will soon begin. With the end of the year just around the corner, we don’t expect to see Plant in the ring until the first quarter of 2022. The question now turns to, who should he take on next?
Could Plant take on a soft touch to get his feet wet in his ring return? Sure he could. Should he? Absolutely not. Plant has all of the momentum in the world and if he expects to get back into the title hunt, he needs a big fight in his return to the ring. So who exactly should he take on? Keep reading to find out.
Jermall Charlo
Jermall Charlo knows the move to the super middleweight division is an inevitable one. After winning world titles at both 154 and 160 pounds, it appears as though Charlo isn’t able to get the sort of fights that he craves.
So, with the likes of Demetrius Andrade, and Gennadiy Golovkin out of his grasp, Charlo could be on his way to the super middleweight division. In fact, he’s openly admitted that he would have no problem making the move to face Alvarez.
While Charlo could ultimately get his wish, it would make a ton more sense for him to move up and face an established 168 pounder like Plant before facing Alvarez. As for how they match up, it’ll be Plant’s pure boxing ability against Charlo’s aggression and power. Sign us up for that one.
Anthony Dirrell
This one seems like the most logical choice.
Before Plant stepped through the ropes against Alvarez at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Anthony Dirrell scored the performance of the night. The now 37-year-old registered a clean one-punch knockout over fringe contender Marcos Hernandez.
Not only did Dirrell steal the show but there’s also a storyline behind a matchup between himself and Plant. Just a few days before the event took place, Dirrell openly admitted that he “hates” Caleb Plant. In addition to that, Dirrell also called him out on several occasions.
Will Dirrell still be interested in facing Plant considering that he doesn’t have a world title anymore? That could play a factor. However, if Dirrell is willing to settle his differences with Plant in the ring, this would be the perfect matchup to make for both men.
David Benavidez vs. Kyrone Davis winner
In terms of which fight would bring the most eyeballs to the television screen, this one would be ranked number one.
For a number of years now, both David Benavidez and Caleb Plant have hurled insults at one another. From Benavidez stating that he’ll hurt his fellow 168-pound contender to Plant poking fun at Benavidez for losing his WBC title on two separate occasions, their issue with one another has reached its breaking point.
Simply put, this is a fight that has to happen. But, with Benavidez set to take on Kyrone Davis on November 13th, we can’t simply dismiss the chances of Davis. After all, he did score a split decision draw in his most recent contest against Anthony Dirrell.
Still, while Davis should be respected, Benavidez is considered an overwhelming favorite. If he’s able to do what most are expecting, a matchup between himself and Plant makes all the sense in the world.
