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By Cassandra Cousineau, LVSportsBiz.com Boxing Writer
Every now and then boxing fans get what they wish for— a matchup of two fighters in their prime, headlining a meaningful event.
All the merrier when that happens in Las Vegas on a Saturday night on the Strip.
After circling each other for years, undefeated interim super-middleweight WBC champion, David Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) will face former IBF champion Caleb Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) inside MGM Grand Garden Arena.
This is a very big fight. From a marketing standpoint, this match would have draw even a brighter spotlight if not for the NCAA Tournament West Regional Final across the street at T-Mobile Arena, matching college basketball powers Gonzaga and UConn, and a sold out Allegiant Stadium two miles away with megastar Taylor Swift.
It may make boxing’s brutality a bit more palatable for casual fans to refer to boxing as a gentleman’s sport, but the truth is, it’s a fist fight. And well before they actually meet on fight night, rounds of verbal sparring set the stage for the spectacle. Trash talk in boxing is the equivalent of cash talk in boxing. It sets the stage of acrimony and piques the interest of fans. As far as Benavidez and Plant are concerned, these two are amongst the best in the business.
From the looks of it, consumers are picking up what these fighting businessmen are laying down. Friday’s weigh-in and final pre-fight meeting were at full capacity, a jam-packed affair inside MGM’s KA theater in Las Vegas. As of Saturday morning, there are very few seats available for purchase for the fight at MGM Grand Garden.
Saturday’s 168-pound PPV showdown is one of the most compelling fights of the year after five years of two-way trash talk. We’re not talking perfunctory barbs for the sake of marketing. These two don’t like each other. Their inner circles don’t like each other. And David Benavidez’s father definitely does not care for Caleb Plant.
The contention seems to go back to a 2018 skirmish. According to Plant, Benavidez’s father went too far by insinuating he was sharing personal stories regarding the loss of his baby daughter, and tragedy around his mother’s death just to invoke sympathy amongst fans.
A Vegas transplant born in the Tennessee town of Ashland, Plant grew up in poverty, and his first crib was a dresser drawer. In 2015, Plant and his child’s mother made the decision to remove life support from their 19-month-old daughter, Alia. She was born with brain damage that resulted in hundreds of seizures a day.
“Once you start, you know, bringing up someone’s mom, once you start bringing up their kids, their wife, that’s like a different level.”
He has since gone on to slam Benavidez for twice losing world titles because of his own missteps.
“March 25, I’m gonna be there,” he vowed. “I’m gonna be in shape. I’m gonna be on weight. I’m not gonna be on cocaine and I’mma whoop his ass.”
After becoming the youngest, super weight champion ever at 20 years old, in 2017, he tested positive for cocaine during random drug testing. That ended his first title reign. He regained the belt in a September 2019 ninth-round stoppage of Anthony Dirrell, only for his second reign to end on the scales. He missed weight for an August 2020 clash with Alexis Angulo.
The Phoenix native appears to have his career on track. He now holds the WBC interim super middleweight title, which he will put on the line on Saturday.
After officially weighing 166, two pounds under the division’s weight limit, Benevidez has seemed to put his past behind him, and gotten on a more focused, professional track ready to challenge all comers in the division especially, Plant.
The 26-year-old told LVSportsBiz.com, “Every time he fights a real, true super middleweight, he gets hurt or he gets knocked out. He’s gonna be in there with the hardest, most accurate super middleweight. We’re gonna see what’s up.”
As for the betting books, Benavidez is the official favorite holding at -310 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Plant sits at +240 on the moneyline.
Plant isn’t bothered by his underdog status. “We’re gonna put on a big fight. This is what boxing needs, what it’s all about. Boxing needs big fights.”
According to reports, Plant and Benavidez have agreed to a 50/50 deal, with each fighter set to pocket anywhere between $2 million and $6 million. No pay-per-view revenue shares have been officially announced.
The winner could go on to face the sport’s number one pound-for-pound and box office draw, Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez put up the full title, and his other three belts against John Ryder May 6, in his hometown Jalisco, Mexico. Plant has already lost once to Alverez, Benavidez has yet to face him.
“All the talk is done. But Caleb Plant’s been doing that gravedigging gesture. Does he know he’s digging his own grave? We’re gonna see what that chin looks like. We’ll see.”
Benavidez vs Plant will be shown live on Showtime PPV. The main event is scheduled to get underway at 9 p.m. ET with ring walks (tentatively) by 11 p.m. ET.
The fight is available to order for $74.99 and can be live streamed from the Showtime app.