Stepping into the ring for the fourth time in just over a year, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is going for the clean sweep of titles in the Super Middleweight division as he takes on Caleb Plant in Las Vegas this weekend.
Victory would ensure he is known as one of the deadliest fighters around on current form and perhaps the best pound-for-pound in the world.
When compared to other boxers, you have to look at the likes of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, whose trilogy concluded last month in emphatic fashion and Terence Crawford who boasts an impressive 37-0 record, whilst also recognising Oleksandr Usyk after his unanimous victory against Anthony Joshua.
Whilst these are all impressive names to be thrown in the hat with, the sporadic nature of how often they fight in comparison to the Mexican, who has already claimed three wins this year, makes him the pinnacle of the sport’s elite, but another comprehensive win against Plant would really prove this and silence any critics.
With that in mind, here is why we think the Mexican will go all the way at the MGM Grand come the weekend.
Winning run
You’d have to stretch back as far as 2013 to see Canelo’s one and only professional loss — a majority decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. While there is no shame in losing to one of the greatest fighters in history, with hindsight you wonder if a young, and inexperienced Canelo would have approached the fight differently.
Nonetheless he comes back to MGM as the clear favourite in the odds on Saul Alvarez v Caleb Plant. Only a controversial draw against Gennady Golovkin interrupts the Mexicans path of destruction, claiming 56 career wins, all the more impressive considering he has only just turned 30. Given some of the names on his list of opponents, this one is going to be tough for Plant.
The Eddie Hearn effect
He certainly divides opinion but whether you like him or not, Eddie Hearn is one of boxing’s best promoters.
Regardless of the occasion, he always sticks his neck out for his fighter and when things took a turn for the worst in Canelo’s press conference, culminating with the pair being pulled apart after exchanging verbal and physical blows, Hearn was quick to rush to the Mexicans defence.
“It was embarrassing for Caleb Plant. So embarrassing,” said Hearn. “I actually felt when they eventually sat down for the press conference, I felt they were half-ganging up on Canelo.
“I felt it was half a set up in the way they put questions to them, but I thought Canelo dealt with it fantastically well. The whole thing escalated yesterday because of Caleb Plant and his behaviour. Saul is not the type of guy who is just going to start swinging punches.”
Time between fights
Despite boasting an unbeaten run of his own, Plant has only stepped in the ring once since February 2020, and while he may have gone the distance in his victory over Caleb Truax, by comparison Canelo has fought three times in just under a year—with wins over Callum Smith, Avni Yıldırım and Billy Joe Saunders.
It is clear Alvarez is the more experienced fighter and the fitness he would have garnered in the previous bouts will certainly give him and advantage over Plant regardless of how much running and sparring has been done in preparation for the biggest fight of his career.
PLAY Canelo Alvarez Vs. Caleb Plant PICKUP PROPS
