Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant Showtime MGM Grand Preview
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (November 5th, 2021)–USA Showtime Pay-Per-View will present an exciting nine-bout card of professional boxing at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday evening, November 6, 2021, featuring the 168 pounds World Super middleweight championship unification bout between divisional champions Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Caleb Plant.
Alvarez, 56-1-2 with 38 knockouts, Guadalajara, Mexico, is favored to win by stoppage in eleven rounds or less over Plant, 21-0 with 12 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada. Referee Russell Mora also refereed Canelo’s bout with Sergey Kovalev, which ended in an eleventh-round knockout. This bout should be a similar prototype bout, with Canelo breaking down Plant’s defenses, and perhaps scoring several knockdowns along the way before the end. Plant has technical skill as a 21-0 world champion, so Canelo could be likely to remain cautious during the first half of the bout depending on what approach and game plan Plant takes. Plant cannot simply take Canelo out, but he could outwork him. It is a big payday for Plant, who could still be a force at 168 pounds in defeat if Canelo moves up to light heavyweight after this bout and vacates the division, as after Plant Canelo will have nobody significant left to fight at 168 pounds. Plant deserves credit, in the least, for taking this crossroads unification bout. As the underdog, Plant’s chances of an upset are remote, but who knows. Nobody has shown the discipline or ability to beat Canelo yet.
Eventually, Canelo will break Plant down on the inside, but it will take time. The International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, and World Boxing Organisation World Super Middleweight belts will all be at stake in this high stakes bout. It will take time for Canelo unless he gets to Plant early. Look for Canelo to move up to light heavyweight after this bout, as Canelo has already mopped up the 168-pound division. Plant is basically all that is left for Canelo to dissect. Both fighters apparently do not like each other, but prefight conflicts aside, Alvarez and Plant are clean.
It is possible the prefight exchange of words could translate into an exchange of punches with emotions connected to them. Canelo is well grounded, and if Plant is off his fight game emotionally even to the slightest degree, Canelo could score a knockout or win on cuts. Plant could go the distance if he winds up fighting a survivor type fight, but it is unlikely Canelo will let him off the hook, given the sort of pressure Canelo gives opponents.
The only chance Plant has at 6’1″ with a 74-inch reach is to outbox Canelo, who is 5’8″ with a 70 ½ inch reach, from the outside. If Plant is somehow able to use height, reach and superior speed to his advantage, the bout could be much closer than the experts predict.
Undercard Predictions
Juan Pablo Romero Win 10 Elvis Rodriguez, Super Lightweights
Rey Vargas KO 9 Leonardo Baez, Super Bantamweights
Anthony Dirrell TKO 9 Marcos Hernandez, Super Middleweights
Jose Manuel Gomez Win 8 Jose Antonio Meza, Super Featherweights
Rances Barthelemy TKO 7 Gustavo David Vittori, Super Lightweights
Joselito Velazquez Win 8 Gilberto Mendoza, Flyweights
Jan Salvatierra Win 6 Fernando Diaz, Flyweights (Opening Bout)
Canelo vs. Plant Betting Odds
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