Caleb Plant retained his IBF super middleweight title Saturday against Caleb Truax, and now has a potential fight with WBC/WBA titleholder Canelo Alvarez — who would, in the scenario, also have the WBO title by then, making it an undisputed title fight at 168 pounds — in his sights for later this year.
Plant (21-0, 12 KO) spoke with Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast about the win over Truax, Canelo (and Canelo’s attempt to get the fight on short notice in December, which Callum Smith took instead), his media rival David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo, and much more.
Watch the full interview in the video up top, but here are some highlights:
On why he fought Caleb Truax
“We wanted to do back-to-back mandatories, that way it would give me a year’s worth free and open to make big unification fights. The IBF is really strict with its mandatories, and the IBF is usually the only sanctioning body that would not excuse mandatories for unification fights or bigger fights. So we thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and do two back-to-back, that way going forward for the whole rest of the year a mandatory wouldn’t get in the way of me making a big unification fight.”
On Canelo trying to get him on short notice in December
“People have him as the pound-for-pound king so why would you not put yourself in the best position to get your hand raised in that fight? … I think we’re close to making that Canelo fight happen, I think it can be made, he’s saying it can be made, our teams are on board so the Canelo fight will happen.”
On fighting David Benavidez
“Of course he feels like he can just jump the line again and get a world title fight, and in his eyes he feels like he’s going to beat me and then get the Canelo fight, but boxing doesn’t work that way. He’s had his opportunities!”
On a possible fight with Jermall Charlo in the future
“Definitely, I’ve heard rumors of him wanting to move up to 168 and if that’s the case, I’m the man to see in that division!”