Caleb Plant has done a great job of staying relevant without being particularly active in recent years.
His handling of some potentially difficult out-of-the-ring situations has been almost perfect, and made him a fan favourite, despite this being only his fourth fight since November 2021.
He, regardless, is very talented, and I like what he’s been doing with Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, who I believe is a very good coach. In his most recent fight, with Trevor McCumby in September, he showed he is continuing to mature; he was knocked down in a difficult start, and had to battle back by fighting on the inside – which we’d not seen him do much before. He’d been proven at boxing on the outside, with a fantastic jab; instead, against a both talented and strong opponent, he had to become the stalker and fight at close range; that he won an exciting fight means I expect him to get a lot of attention again on Saturday night, against Mexico’s Jose Armando Resendiz.
When Plant fought Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in November 2021 and recorded the first of his two defeats – the second came against David Benavidez in March 2023 – Canelo was at his very peak. He gave Canelo difficulty early on until being broken down, but since then Canelo’s declined, and Plant’s got better. Against Benavidez he looked capable of folding like he did against Canelo, but he didn’t – he powered through and survived. He showed that he’d improved again against McCumby; he looks better than he ever has.
Resendiz is a tough opponent, and, for what’s his biggest fight, can be expected to be in great shape and at his best. At 26 he has youth on his side, and he’s tough, which is relevant against an opponent who can be hurt. If he can turn it into a dogfight, instead of allowing Plant to dictate from the outside with that jab and his feet, he has a chance – but he hasn’t showed that he can win at this level.
Plant, a former kickboxer, is getting better at pacing himself, and aged 32 looks more durable than ever. He’s rangey, and has fast hands and good feet, which should prove too much for Resendiz, who I expect to be stopped in the mid-to-late rounds.
Like everyone else, if Plant wins, and Jermall Charlo – also on Saturday night – beats Thomas LaManna, I expect them to be matched later in 2025. If they’d fought 18 months earlier – they have history – it would have been more appealing than it is today, but if they both look good some of that appeal will immediately be recovered.
There are far more questions surrounding Charlo than Plant. At 35, the undefeated Charlo has fought only once since June 2021 – but it’s important to recognise he again looked impressive, in victory over Jose Benavidez Jnr, when he did.
He again showed on that night, in November 2023, that at the very least he’s very gifted. The uncertainty surrounding him owes in part to suggestions his inactivity stems from him struggling with his mental health, but the far-reaching speculation about the past few years in his life means it would be unfair to question if he can recover his very best form when so little of that is established fact.
Even at 70 per cent, Charlo is capable of beating his opponent, Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna – they appear to have been matched to continue rebuilding Charlo’s reputation. LaManna isn’t dangerous to someone with Charlo’s abilities – he’s consistently struggled when he’s been stepped up. What their fight will tell both us and their promoters Premier Boxing Champions is whether Charlo is capable of making it as far as a higher-profile fight with Plant. There are perhaps more questions around him than any other fighter in the world, but he’s still among the most talented out there – and to the extent that even if he wins convincingly, many of those questions will remain.
It’s difficult to make a case for LaManna winning. He might be tall, but he’s fighting above his natural weight division, which looked 154lbs. He needs to maintain distance between he and Charlo, and stop Charlo from achieving a sense of balance and getting set, because of the combinations Charlo will put together when he does. At 33 he’s also past his physical peak. I don’t see how he can achieve what he needs to until the final bell.
Fundamentally, Charlo’s one of the best – he’s far too good for LaManna – and he has a killer instinct. Physically, he’s previously shown he’s got it all. I expect his 23rd stoppage from his 34th fight to follow, and then confirmation of a date with Plant.
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I’d like to extend my best wishes to Japan’s Ginjiro Shigeoka, and his family, team and friends. The first fight with Pedro Taduran, of the Philippines, was brutal; you could see in his face when he entered the ring for their recent rematch that he knew he was entering another difficult contest. He had a good game plan – a different one from their first fight – fought well, and tried his best. He narrowly lost but he fought at an intense pace throughout, and then wilted at the final bell, which was harrowing to see. He’s a warrior, and he’s fighting the toughest battle of his life – it’s one I desperately hope he wins.