Add Caleb Plant to the growing list of people who predict that +1000 betting underdog Edgar Berlanga doesn’t have a chance against super middleweight king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in Las Vegas on Sept. 14.
“Canelo will go out there and do his thing,” Plant told BoxingScene. “I don’t feel like [Berlanga will come close to beating Alvarez]. He doesn’t have the boxing skills, IQ, or chin. That’s a recipe for disaster, but let him prove us wrong and show what he can do. I don’t care how he does. I am focused on my fight.”
The former 168-pound titleholder Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) will appear on the undercard of Alvarez vs. Berlanga when he takes on Trevor McCumby (28-0, 21 KOs).
If Berlanga were to lose to Alvarez, a bounce-back fight against Plant wouldn’t be out of the question, especially with their simmering beef.
“Berlanga is on the list of guys I would like to fight,” said Plant. “Right now I am just focused on Trevor. This is his moment. This is his chance. I need to put all of my effort and energy into that.
“I’ll be here at 168 pounds for some time; probably until I retire.”
The only losses of Plant’s career have come against Alvarez via 11th-round knockout in November 2021 and against David Benavidez via unanimous decision in March 2023.
Plant has not fought since his date against Benavidez, but he still believes he’s worthy of a rematch against the Mexican star.
“[An Alvarez fight] could happen – never say never,” said Plant. “That’s another fight I’m down to have and boxing would love. He’s not [next for me] right now. Nothing is next for me except Trevor McCumby. Nothing happens unless I get my hand raised. I’ve been away for a minute but I’ve been using my time wisely and you will see the best Caleb Plant yet on September 14.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine, and more. He’s been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.