Canelo Expects Benavidez to Defeat Plant on March 25
BY SEAN NAM
Published Wed Mar 08, 2023, 07:24 AM EST
Canelo Alvarez doesn’t think that one of his former opponents necessarily has what it takes to defeat David Benavidez.
Alvarez, the Mexican superstar and current undisputed champion in the 168-pound division, offered his thoughts on an intriguing, 12-round super middleweight bout between Benavidez and Caleb Plant that will take place March 25 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Showtime Pay-Per-View.
In short, Alvarez thinks Benavidez, the 26-year-old pressure fighter from Phoenix, Arizona, will pull out the victory.
“I think Benavidez,” Alvarez told ESNews. “Because he’s more strong, more younger, so maybe Benavidez.”
Alvarez has some history with Nashville’s Plant (22-1, 13 KOs). The two fought each in an undisputed 168-pound championship bout in 2021, which ended with Alvarez earning Plant’s IBF title via 11th-round technical knockout.
Benavidez-Plant is a contrast of styles. Benavidez is known for his come-forward approach and whipping body shots, while Plant, an orthodox cutie, typically relies on his shrewdness (although Plant surprised viewers in his last fight, when he drubbed Anthony Dirrell with a harrowing one-punch knockout in the ninth round).
The fighters, who have long expressed their distaste for each other, nearly came to blows in a tense press conference held in Los Angeles last week.
Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) is a former two-time titlist at 168 but he lost his titles both times for reasons outside of the ring; the first time was due to testing positive for cocaine, the second was for when he came in overweight ahead of a super middleweight title defense against Roamer Alexis Angulo in 2020. Benavidez last fought in May, picking up a breezy third-round knockout of former middleweight titlist David Lemieux.
Alvarez is expected to return to the ring in May, possibly against London’s John Ryder. Alvarez is coming off successful surgery for his left wrist which he had aggravated in his last fight, a points win over Gennadiy Golovkin in their trilogy last September.