WBA interim super middleweight champion Caleb Plant reportedly could fight in the main event on a PBC card on May 31st against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
Lance Pugmire reports that the former IBF 168-lb champion ‘Sweethands’ Plant (23-2, 14 KOs) is in talks to fight on May 31st. However, it won’t be against Edgar Berlanga, as the New Yorker is expected to fight in September against Jaime Munguia, Jermall Charlo, or Plant.
Plant, 32, is coming off a ninth-round knockout win over fringe contender Trevor McCumby on September 14th last year on the undercard of Canelo vs. Berlanga at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He didn’t look all that great against McCumby, getting dropped in the fourth round by the little-known fighter and hurt on another occasion. McCumby isn’t one of the major players in the 168-lb division. So, it was disappointing to see Plant getting bounced around by this no-name.
Caleb wants a rematch with Canelo, which would seem highly unlikely unless he starts beating higher-grade opposition. McCumby isn’t nearly a good enough win for Plant to get a second payday against Alvarez. If he wants another shot at Canelo before aging out, he needs to beat these types of contenders: Christian Mbilli, Osleys Iglesias, and Berlanga. The division is so weak right now after David Benavidez and David Morrell both moved up.
Perhaps the best fighter in the weight class now is Iglesias (13-0, 12 KOs), but there’s little chance Plant is going to stick his neck out by fighting him. He’ll focus on taking another easy tune-up and hope that a win over Berlanga would be enough. I don’t think it would be because boxing fans don’t want to see Canelo fight Plant again after the way he destroyed him in 2021.
Pugmire says former two-division world champion Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) is a possibility for the undercard of Plant’s May 31st event. Jermall hasn’t fought in two years since his 10-round unanimous decision win over Jose Benavidez on November 25, 2023.
When he took that fight, Charlo had been out of the ring for two years. Obviously, his career is no longer a top priority for him. If he does fight on the Plant undercard on May 31st, it’ll likely be another tune-up.
