Caleb Plant’s next title defense certainly doesn’t whet the appetite. The super middleweight titleholder is set to take on unheralded German Vincent Feigenbutz on Feb. 15, it was announced last week.
Feigenbutz? Rumor is that he and Tom Schwartz have the same Bavarian agent.
To compound matters, Plant is coming off what was already an underwhelming matchup in his last bout, on July 20, a breezy win over “Subway” Mike Lee that ended swiftly in the third round. A talented southpaw in his prime who otherwise had a breakout year by wresting a piece of the super middleweight crown from Jose Uzcategui in January, Plant, it seems, has been put on the slow track for his title reign.
Yet by deciding to stage Plant’s next fight at the Bridgestone Arena in his hometown of Nashville, it’s clear what strategy his handlers have in mind for their top fighters.
“I’m very excited to bring my world title home to Nashville in my second title defense,” Plant said in a release by Premier Boxing Champions. “It’ll be in front of all of my family and friends, and I plan to put on a spectacular performance. Vincent Feigenbutz is a very tough, rugged European fighter. He’s got a big knockout ratio, but this is my backyard, and I will not let any man come in here and rain on my parade.
“On February 15, I’m representing my hometown and my home city with pride. I believe this will be the first of many fights that we hold at The Bridgestone in Nashville. This fight isn’t going 12 rounds. Nashville, stand up!”
When was the last time a title fight took place in Nashville? Exactly.
Plant may not get the hearts of fight aficionados racing by facing an unknown German, but that likely won’t matter to his hometown supporters. Indeed, the fight is the latest example of a new box office market in boxing, the local market. In recent years, fighters like Jose Ramirez and Terence Crawford have drawn upwards of 12,000 fans in their hometowns of Fresno, California and Omaha, Nebraska, respectively. The PBC showcased Jermall Charlo in his native Houston and gave rising lightweight Gervonta “Davis a considerable homecoming in Baltimore. Indeed, this past Saturday, more than 14,000 spectators showed up in Atlanta to see Davis score a 12th-round stoppage against Yuriorkis Gamboa. In the spring, Dallas native Errol Spence drew 47,000 people to see him fight Mikey Garcia in a pay-per-view show in nearby Arlington.
Plant-Feigenbutz could have taken place at one of the totemic casinos in Las Vegas, where Plant lives and trains, and no one would have batted an eye. If boxing wants to grows, it needs to move away from money streams that have both sustained and marginalized it over the past few decades.
Plant-Feigenbutz could be another step in something special. Let’s just hope next time Plant goes to Nashville, it’s against a live body.