As you surely know by now, Caleb Plant did not shock the world on Saturday, as he was dropped twice and stopped in the 11th round in his fight with Canelo Alvarez.
While Plant (21-1, 12 KO) took the first loss of his pro career and dropped the IBF super middleweight title to the new undisputed champion, he seems to be feeling pretty good about his performance overall.
“I’ve bent most [of] the world to my will and done it with nothing but passion and skill. I’ll be back,” he wrote on social media. “I showed I belong on the top level and I’ll be champion of the world again. I’ve never been scared to go big or go out on my shield. Thank you to all the fans and all my supporters.”
The 29-year-old Plant was taking a big step up in competition against Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KO), and while it proved too much for him on the night, he didn’t get completely overwhelmed by either the moment or the opponent; it’s not like Canelo went out there and completely dominated from the opening bell, and Plant hung around in the fight, looking for ways to win rounds. Some have criticized his effort, but I’m not in that camp. I think he did the most he could with the skill set he has on the night of the fight, and he didn’t just roll over.
Expect Plant to take a break and then look for a fight next spring or summer, depending on how much time he needs to recover physically and, probably more importantly, mentally. There will be plenty of good matchups waiting for him when he looks to return, either at 168 or maybe 175 if he were to choose to go up in weight after the loss.