Caleb Plant laser-focused on Jermall Charlo after Jose Armando Resendiz: 'I'm going to step on him'
When Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney co-headlined a show against different opponents at Times Square on May 2, plans were in place for the two rivals to meet in a long-awaited rematch in October if both had won. Instead, Rolando "Rolly" Romero tore up the script and upset Garcia by unanimous decision, forcing plans for a Garcia vs. Haney rematch to be temporarily shelved.
Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo hope to have better luck when they share a bill in separate fights Saturday at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, with a view toward sharing the ring with each other later this year should both emerge successful against Jose Armando Resendiz and Thomas LaManna, respectively.
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"I will say this has been happening in boxing for years and years and years, I mean tens and twenties and thirties of years," Plant told Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." "It's been going on since way back — two guys get on a card, main event and co-main, and then they run it after that.
"Now, as of recently, there have been some mishaps. You spoke to the Devin and the Ryan situation, and you know, it was [always a possible outcome]. I did want to go right into the Charlo fight, but obviously he's been inactive for a little bit, and he wanted to get active and get a tune-up fight or whatever you want to call it. And I felt like this was my fastest way to a big fight that I really wanted."
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"At the time, [Saul] 'Canelo' [Alvarez] and [William] Scull were busy," Plant continued. "[Jaime] Munguia was busy with Bruno [Surace], Edgar Berlanga doesn't want to fight, so I can't force his hand. ... This was my fastest way to a big fight, so I did what I had to do."
Charlo has recorded just one ring appearance in almost four years — an underwhelming 10-round decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr. in November 2023. In the past few years, the former middleweight champion has been battling drug and alcohol addictions, as well as mental health issues, so it's understandable why he'd want an easier return fight before potentially taking on Plant later this year.
Plant (23-2, 14 KOs) and Charlo's rivalry infamously escalated at the weigh-in for the Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence fight in July 2023, where Plant was filmed delivering an open-handed slap to Charlo's face. Plant claimed that Charlo disrespected his marriage and grabbed him by the beard, so he was forced to retaliate.
Another foe floated for Plant, aside from Charlo, was the once-beaten contender Edgar Berlanga. Berlanga challenged Alvarez for the unified super middleweight title this past September but lost comfortably by decision. Plant and Berlanga have engaged in a public back-and-forth in recent months, which began during the buildup to Berlanga's bout with Alvarez. Plant faced Trevor McCumby on the undercard.
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"I think it's more for just promo," Plant said of Berlanga's desire to fight. "My manager has reached out to his manager and we wanted to do something, I think it was in late July, and now here he is fighting in late July anyway, I believe. As of now, I've got a big fight on my hands and I'm not too focused on him. Like I said, if he wants to be part of the witness protection program and doesn't want to fight, I can't force his hand."
Although much of the talk this week remains on his rivalry with Charlo, Plant refuses to look past the man who'll be standing in front of him on Saturday. For the 26-year-old Resendiz (15-2, 11 KOs), a win would be life-changing, and Plant knows well how much that can spur on an underdog.
But one thing's for certain: Resendiz will not be emulating Scull on Saturday. When given an opportunity on a televised card, Resendiz has shown that comes to fight. Exciting and competitive bouts with Jarett Hurd, Elijah Garcia and Marcos Hernandez have ensured that Resendiz continues to be a feature on Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions' cards.
"This is a big moment for him," Plant said of Resendiz. "I've said this in a lot of interviews leading up to now — I remember what it was like for me coming up and having a big moment like this, and how much it meant to me and how hard I worked for it. And I'm assuming that he's coming with the same mindset, [the] same mentality, so he has to be taken seriously.
Caleb Plant faced off against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in November 2021. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
(PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images)
"He stopped Jarrett Hurd at 160 [pounds], now he's moved up to '68 and got a win there, and looking to come and take my interim title. So I know he's tough, I know he's coming to lay it all on the line, but my skills are far superior and there's levels to this. The experience that I've had facing all the world champions I've fought: 'Canelo,' David Benavidez, former two-time world champ Anthony Dirrell, Jose Uzcategui [was a] world champ, even [Rogelio] Medina was a tough competitor, a tough title eliminator.
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"I feel like all that experience will be a major key in this fight. I've had a great camp. I'm super focused, super locked in and I'm going to step on him."
Plant hopes that a strong win streak at super middleweight will eventually lead to a second meeting with Alvarez. But Alvarez already has a tough task in front of him with the former two-division undisputed champion and pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford in September.
Despite the two-division gap in weight between Alvarez and Crawford, Plant refuses to rule out Crawford's chances.
"I give [Crawford] a shot. I don't know who wins, and obviously there's weight classes for a reason, but at the same time, Terence is a special, special person," Plant said. "Special ability, special mental fortitude, special strength, and you can't put too much past Terence Crawford, especially once he's got his mind made up and really wants it, so we'll see.
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"I think both have things that fall in their favor, but that's what makes this so interesting. That's why everybody is going to tune in to see what's going to go on, to see what's going to happen. When it's two special fighters like this, I think it's most fair to just let the bell ring and let them handle it.
"I feel like this Crawford-Canelo matchup will be a lot more fan-friendly [than Alvarez vs. Scull]," Plant continued. "'Bud' isn't just going to be running around the ring for 12 rounds, I can assure you that. That's not in his blood, and obviously not Canelo's either, so I think it's going to be a fan-friendly fight."
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But the marquee matchups take place at either the MGM Grand Garden Arena — the site Manny Pacquiao picked to make his boxing comeback against Mario Barrios on July 19 — or the T-Mobile Arena, where "Canelo" has been fighting on Mexican holidays. Advertisement 'For me, it was always the MGM Grand [Garden Arena],' Eubank said. 'That's where the massive fights were. [But the T-Mobile Arena], in a short space of time, has actually surpassed the MGM.' 'One day, we're going to fight here,' Eubank finished. 'It's a dream of mine.'
