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Caleb Plant and Trevor McCumby weighed 167.2 lbs on Friday at the weigh-in for their undercard fight for the WBA interim super middleweight title this Saturday night.
(Credit: Ryan Hafey & Rey Del Rio/Premier Boxing Champions)
The two argued during the face-off, with the former IBF 168-lb champion Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) continuing with his theme of needling McCumby (28-0, 21 KOs) about a positive test many years ago.
Plant is desperate right now to get any edge because he needs this win, which he believes will give him a chance for a rematch with Canelo Alvarez.
He says that there’s a chance the World Boxing Association will elevate him to WBA ‘regular’ 168-lb champion due to the current belt-holder David Morrell having moved up to 175.
A second fight with Canelo would help Plant pad his bank account with another nice payday. Plant reportedly earned $10 million for his fight against Canelo in November 2021.
So, it’s understandable why he needs to get his hands on the WBA interim 168-lb title because it could be his golden ticket for another payday against Canelo.
Plant’s inactivity of 18 months and beat down against David Benavidez last year makes it difficult to predict how he’ll perform against McCumby. Even when Plant was an active fighter, his best wins were against 38-year-old Anthony Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui. Those are not great wins.
Face-Off Dialogue:
Caleb Plant: “I’m not a cheater. You Are.”
Trevor McCumby: “You’re with SNAC.”
Plant seems to think that reminding McCumby of his past positive test will throw him off mentally for the fight on Saturday, but that may not be the case. McCumby knows what Plant’s game is all about, and he understands that he’s desperate for a win.
With Plant having lost the two times he stepped up against high-caliber opposition and coming off a long 18-month layoff, he’s not in a strong position for his fight against McCumby.
Given all the money Plant has made, the hunger might not be there with him. You don’t sit out of the ring for 18 months if you’re not doing well financially.
Most hungry fighters will return to work right away, looking to get back in action within three to four months. But when a fighter has made millions, they can afford to enjoy the fruits of their labor, buy huge mansions, travel the world, and purchase expensive cars and jewelry.
You have to question whether Plant is returning for the wrong reasons after his long year-and-a-half layoff. Is it just the green of a second payday against Canelo that has lured Plant out of his hibernation?
“We’re going to see if he really is sharp,” said Trevor McCumby to the Sean Zittel YouTube channel. “I would say so. Maneuver him over there. I don’t think he fights well off the ropes. He might think differently,” McCumby said about Plant fighting poorly when backed up along the ropes.
Canelo knocked out Plant when he trapped him against the ropes in 2021, and Benavidez also worked him over. Even Jose Uzcategui and Anthony Dirrell had their way with Plant when they had him against the ropes. He’s a fighter who needs mobility to do well because once he’s trapped, he’s vulnerable.
“I’ve seen what he does against the ropes,” said McCumby. “It’ll be one of the game plans. Get him against the ropes and really rough him up. I am a boxer-puncher. A lot of people know that. When I get a better opponent, I fight better.”
If McCumby can trap Plant against the ropes, he’s got a chance to start where Benavidez left off last year becasue he beat the living daylights out of the Las Vegas resident.
“I could possibly get elevated [to WBA super middleweight champion], and Canelo is the WBA champ. So, y’all can do the math on that,” said Plant to the PPV YouTube channel, continuing with his dreary campaign to get picked out by Canelo Alvarez for a rematch despite losing two out of his last three fights since 2021.
The WBA elevating Plant to champion won’t guarantee that he gets a rematch with Canelo. David Morrell held the WBA belt, and a lot of good it did him with getting picked by Canelo for a life-chaging payday like the one Plant got. Canelo will only fight Plant again if he feels it’s his best option for easy money because that seems to be what he’s interested in for his fights at 168.
“I’d go with Canelo. He’s got most of the belts,” said Plant when asked who he wants a rematch more between Canelo and David Benavidez. “He’s got the IBF belt that I lost. I’d love to get that belt back along with the others that he holds.”
Of course, Plant is going to pick Canelo for who he wants to fight in a rematch over Benavidez. Come on, Canelo is a superstar, whereas Benavidez is an undercard fighter who is now fighting at 175 and looking terrible.
“I’ve been smoothing the edges in the past year. This is the most complete fighter I’ve ever been. At the point where I’m relaxed wherever the fight goes, and that really has helped elevate my game,” said Plant.
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