LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez became the undisputed super middleweight champion after knocking out Caleb Plant in the 11th round of their bout in Las Vegas to unify the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
The Mexican pound-for-pound superstar is the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world.
Alvarez became the first four-belt world champion at 168 pounds in boxing history, stopping Caleb Plant in the 11th with two dramatic knockdowns.
Alvarez, 31, came into the fight holding three 168-pound titles (WBC, WBA, and WBO) while 29-year-old American Plant owned the IBF title.
Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) added Plant’s IBF title to his own WBC, WBA and WBO belts with a steady tactical performance culminating in a display of his vaunted power to finish the previously unbeaten Plant.
“It was truly a historic day and I´m so proud to be a part of it,” Alvarez said.
Canelo is generally recognised as the top fighter in the world regardless of weight class.
After battering the bigger Plant with dozens of punches that finally accumulated to leave Plant crumpled on the canvas, Alvarez had complete dominance at 168 pounds – just as he planned when he came out of the pandemic break with a goal to win every super middleweight belt.
After winning four fights in a grueling 11-month span, Canelo is the sixth man to be a four-belt champion. He joined junior welterweight Josh Taylor as the only current undisputed champs of their weight class.
“I’m proud to be one of the six,” Alvarez said through a translator before dedicating the win to his Mexican fans.
After stopping three of his previous four opponents, Alvarez had to grind through a challenging matchup with the tenacious Plant (21-1), who usually moved backward and worked behind his jab to stay away from Canelo’s power.
Alvarez remained persistent and racked up a volume of quality punches – and in the opening seconds of the 11th, he sent Plant crashing to the canvas with a vicious combination followed by an uppercut while Plant tried to duck away.
“This fight itself was exactly as I envisioned it,” Alvarez said. “The first few rounds, they were tough, but then it turned out just how we expected. We were able to execute our game plan, and we´re really happy with how it turned out.”
Plant got up unsteadily, and Alvarez dropped him again with two big right hands, forcing referee Russell Mora to end it at 1:05 of the 11th round.
Plant is a sturdy champion and an inspirational athlete who overcame numerous personal tragedies to earn a shot at the pound-for-pound champ, but the Tennessee native found out just how big the gap remains between Canelo and his contemporaries.
Alvarez landed more than 32 per cent of his 361 punches, while Plant connected on just 23 per cent of his 441 shots, which included 232 jabs – more than twice as many as Canelo. Alvarez excelled in power punches, landing 40 per cent of 251 power shots while wearing down Plant.
Alvarez is the first Mexican fighter to reign undisputed atop a division, and every flag-waving fan in the vehemently pro-Canelo sellout crowd of 16,586 seemed aware of the achievement. The champion, a Guadalajara native, spoke frequently before the fight of his determination to achieve the feat both for himself and for Mexico.
Alvarez extended the most successful active career in boxing with his eighth consecutive victory in just over three years. He hasn’t lost in 16 fights since dropping a majority decision to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, with only a draw against Gennady Golovkin blemishing his record.
After this uncommonly busy 11-month stretch, Canelo had no immediate announcement about his future. He is taking the rest of the year off, and he expects to figure out his next move by January when he was rested and recharged.
“The training sessions, trying to make weight, that´s when you feel the tiredness of it all,” Alvarez said. “Right now, I feel great. My body is responding splendidly. Now I just need some time to rest and to prepare for the next challenge.”
Alvarez and Plant had no personal animus until September, when Alvarez took offense to an insult from Plant during a news conference in Beverly Hills to promote the bout. Alvarez and Plant briefly scrapped, leaving Plant with a cut on his face and a new avenue of motivation.
Discussion about this post