Caleb Plant Scores Real Combat Media Knockout of Month for October 2022
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
On Saturday evening, October 15, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Caleb Plant, the former International Boxing Federation World Super Middleweight champion, scored the Real Combat Media ‘Knockout of the Month’ for October 2022 with a ninth round knockout of former champion Anthony Dirrell at 2:57 in a WBC eliminator. Dirrell, caught inside at short range similar to where Michael Moorer wound up against George Foreman on the inside in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in November 1994 in the tenth round. Plant, 22-1 with 13 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, by way of Nashville, Tennessee, landed a short range left which ended his bout with Dirrell, while Foreman landed a short range right which knocked out the then 35-0 Moorer. Get caught on the inside and take full blast at short range from an established power hitter, and you are not getting up.
As early as round two, Plant was seen feigning downstairs while throwing upstairs. Plant seized on the ‘war of the words’ he had with Dirrell going back to their nasty press conference, to get Dirrell riled with psychological taunts and moves during the bout. Dirrell eventually responded to them, which enabled Plant to establish various rhythms and bring the aging trash talking Dirrell into split second mistake moment territory.
This WBC super middleweight world title eliminator featured Plant’s nonstop pawing with the extended left hand. A lightning Plant left hand to the body caused Dirrell to drop his guard for a split second, whereupon the left hand of Plant, already back in the firing mode, nailed Dirrell on the chin at short range full impact, and sent Dirrell to the canvas knocked out, Referee Harvey Dock waved off the bout only three seconds from the end of the round.
Plant won another shot at Saul Alvarez, the WBO winner of John Ryder versus Zach Parker, or whoever else he wants to fight. This reporter would love to see Caleb Plant versus Gennady Golovkin, or a Cinco de Mayo rematch in 2023 between Plant and Saul Alvarez. Plant versus 26-0 WBC interim World Super Middleweight champion David Benavidez. Of course, ‘The Bronze Bomber’, Deontay Wilder, knocked out Robert Helenius in the bout following Plant versus Dirrell to steal the show at Barclays Center. However, Plant’s win over Dirrell is more ratings significant. It guarantees Plant, beard, ego and all, the next world title shot at the top of the 168 pounds division. True, Plant did not have to mock the knocked out Dirrell by symbolically digging his grave on television after the knockout, but a ‘Plant’ has to go somewhere. Dirrell, 34-3-2 with 25 knockouts, Flint, Michigan, age 38, has won only one of his last four bouts in the last four years.
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