I’m not even going to lie, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant has got me psyched. And it ain’t just because I’ve been pegged to write the official Alvarez-Plant preview for Premier Boxing Champions.
I like the matchup a lot-- the perpetually hungry modern day “great” versus the street-tough boxing stylist-- and I do believe that the underdog, Plant, has a chance to get some good stuff done in there against Canelo.
Sure, on paper and in the logic-center of my boxing brain, this looks like a mismatch. Alvarez has been in the ring with a WAY better level of opposition and his all-around skill set is more complete. Plus, I’d be remiss not to mention the intangibles-- business, aura, star power-- that throw the benefit of most doubt on scorecards in the Mexican star’s direction, making him extra unbeatable.
But if there ever was a sport where the unlikely is most possible, it’s boxing. And Plant has the inner strength and character-- and massive chip on his shoulder-- to not shrink in the face of insurmountable odds. He’s also got a very underrated (and oddly disregarded by media and fans) skill set centered around a style (movement, angles, timing, hand speed, outside game) that could offset much of what Alvarez does best.
I never really believed that guys like Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders felt they could beat Alvarez. Honestly, I don’t think any Canelo opponent since Gennadiy Golovkin, and Floyd Mayweather before him, came into the ring with full self-belief. Plant, in my opinion, truly believes that he can pull this off. He’s not looking for a soft place to land and not finding a back door to a graceful, face-saving defeat. His personality profile suggests that he’s going to win or go down in flames trying.
Just that, alone, makes for an entertaining evening.
Now, mind you, I wouldn’t wager any of my (somewhat) hard-earned money on the chance of an upset this Saturday. Canelo is the firm betting favorite for a reason. All I’m saying is that it’s really not that wild or laughable to consider that Plant has a chance of doing some good work in there, winning some rounds, and, who knows what else.
If I’m wrong, I’m wrong...and I’ll be the first to admit it. I'm not afraid to put myself out there on a limb. But I got a feeling about this one and a real good feeling about Caleb Plant’s ability to rise to the occasion.
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How big of a deal was it that Jaron “Boots” Ennis stopped Thomas Dulorme in the first round on Saturday night? For me, it was a pretty big fucking deal.
Dulorme has been stopped twice before in his career-- by Terence Crawford as a junior welterweight in 2015 and, as a welterweight, by Luis Carlos Abregu in 2012-- but he was never stopped like Ennis stopped him, knocked down and loopy with one punch and then put away seconds later.
In recent years, the tough Puerto Rico resident Dulorme has become a gatekeeper at 147, and a pretty durable one at that. Fighters who’ve beaten him in recent years have had to earn it. Guys like Yordenis Ugas, Jamal James, and Eimantas Stanionis had to fight their tails off to get by him and the best Jessie Vargas could do against him was a disputed draw.
So, the 24-year-old Ennis coming along and wiping Dulorme out IS a big deal-- especially right after being the first to stop Sergey Lipinets in April and the first to stop Juan Carlos Abreu in September of 2020.
Something like this builds the buzz surrounding a future matchup against similarly well-regarded welterweight prodigy, the 23-year-old Vergil Ortiz Jr.
The realist in me screams inside my head about just how hard it’s going to be to get these two in the ring against one another. Conflicting business ties will make Ennis-Ortiz almost impossible to put together, at least for a good, long while. But, still...Ennis, Ortiz...man...these guys make this old, jaded blood flow.
Got something for Magno? Send it here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com