Benavidez vs Plant: Thoughts & What’s Next
By Eddie Sanchez
David Benavidez (27 – 0, 23 KOs) and Caleb Plant (22 – 0, 13 KOs) are two young former champions that are hungry to continue their careers following a grueling 12-round contest between each other. Prior to the fight, I laid out my prediction on my podcast, where in short, I felt that Caleb Plant would successfully utilize his crafty style and jab his way to victory. My only concern was whether David Benavidez would respect the power that Plant possesses, because if not, Benavidez would be able to walk through those attacks and beat down Caleb Plant.
From what we saw on March 25, 2023, the caveat I alluded to turned out to be too true for Plant to overcome. Plant was very successful early in the fight, with one of the official scorecards marking the first five rounds for the crafty veteran. Unfortunately, his stamina was unable to continue at this quick pace for much longer, and with each subsequent round, Benavidez was able to land an increasing number of power shots. The awkward angles from his punches were able to maneuver past Plant’s guard, and Plant was left tired, bloodied and defeated.
With an official scoring of 117 – 111, 116 – 112, and 115 – 113, fans were left satisfied, Plant earned the respect of the boxing community, and David Benavidez showcased the skills necessary to captivate the public and increase the volume of the outcry for him to fight Canelo Alvarez.
So what is next for each if these warriors?
Caleb Plant should recover swiftly and take advantage of the fan support he earned. He is a true champion and has represented himself well against the top two 168 pounders in the world (Benavidez and Canelo). As for who he should face next, there are two fights that come to mind that would be absolutely amazing to see.
(1) A fight with David Morrell.
The young Cuban is 8 – 0 and is a fellow PBC fighter. In a vacuum, this should be an easy fight to set up. Will Plant want this to be his return is another question, but the fact remains that this would be an amazing bout.
(2) A fight against Demetrius Andrade.
Andrade is a former two weight world champion and former Olympian. Despite that resume, his career has been mismanaged to the point that he has been inactive for multiple stretches, with Liam WIlliams being the most notable opponent of his career. The respect for his skills and background is strong however, so a fight between the two men would surely be welcome by fans.
On the other side of the coin, David Benavidez should only have three fights on his mind.
(1) Canelo Alvarez.
That’s it, that’s the fight everyone wants to see. The only issue is that Canelo, following his May return against John Ryder, is likely to rematch Dmitry Bivol in September. Canelo wants to avenge that defeat, and Bivol, while likely being a tougher opponent than Benavidez, is the one he truly wants. The only way this fight doesn’t happen is if Canelo steps aside for Bivol and Beterbiev to fight for the undisputed crown, with himself being next in line to challenge. Personally, I would love for that scenario, but that is unlikely considering the lack of movement in the ‘Bivol vs Beterbiev’ lane.
(2) The second option would be against Jermall Charlo.
Charlo is a frustrating talent. On one hand, Charlo is immensely gifted. Unfortunately, despite those gifts, we have not seen him challenge himself as a champion should. Coming this June, it will have been a full two years without Charlo in the ring as a professional due to injuries and legal issues. He should be ready to step up and get his career back on track. Looking at the Middleweight division, the only potential fight that could do that for himself is a fight against GGG. However, given his history of not taking on challenging opponents, Charlo could be content with winning belts against inferior competition. If he is ready for the truest test though, a fight against Benavidez would be captivating.
(3) A fight with David Morrell is equally as possible for Benavidez considering their shared status with PBC.
Morrell is the WBA (Regular) Champion and Benavidez is now the WBC (Interim) Champion. There are rumors that the WBA and WBC will issue that the two men face each other for both secondary belts and the opportunity to face Canelo Alvarez for all of the marbles. Benavidez taking on Morell, the 168 pound Boogeyman, would bring quite the show and surely would bring noise for a super fight against Alvarez to a fever pitch.
As with many topics in boxing, we never truly know what’s next until it’s actually happening. Hopefully, with both of these men proving that they want to take on those legacy defining fights, we will see some positive movement for each of their careers.
If I had my wish, we would get Plant vs Morrell and Benavidez vs Charlo. Both of these fights would bring incredible momentum to the respective victors, and a potential fight with Canelo would be inevitable at that point.
