Canelo Alvarez’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, said Gennadiy Golovkin won’t survive to the final bell if he fights the Mexican star a third time.
Canelo Alvarez’s trainer said Gennadiy Golovkin wouldn’t survive to the final bell if he fights the Mexican star a third time.
Alvarez and Golovkin reportedly agreed before the coronavirus pandemic took hold to fight one another in the fall. Alvarez was tentatively scheduled to face Billy Joe Saunders on Cinco de Mayo weekend but that fight was postponed indefinitely.
Eddy Reynoso, Alvarez’s trainer, said a third fight with Golovkin would probably be his protege’s last at 160 pounds. The trainer mentioned Saunders, Callum Smith, Caleb Plant and David Benavidez as possible opponents at super middleweight.
The rivals fought to a controversial split draw in September 2017 and Alvarez won a majority decision the following September.
Golovkin turned 38 on Wednesday.
“Without a doubt, if this fight happens, Canelo-Golovkin III, no doubt we’ll knock him out,” Reynoso told ESPN KnockOut. “We’ll look to take the fight to him like in the second one, from the start, try to push him back. But this time things are going to be very different.
“This time, we’re going to knock him out. That’s a promise to all the people who believe in us.”
Alvarez had hoped to fight three times this year but, Reynoso said, that is no longer a realistic plan.
“I think right now we’ll only be able to fit in two fights,” Reynoso said. “We want to fight Golovkin at 160 pounds. We’ll see afterward if there is something there at 160, and if not we’ll go up to 168. Canelo has been fine-tuning over the years, and we’re going to make a lot of noise at 168.”
Reynoso went on: “We’ll have to see how things go and then see how the economy is [when boxing resumes]. There are a lot of fighters who were left without fights. We’ll have to see what happens with them first as far as dates, so we’ll see how all of this pans … out.”
Premier Boxing Champions has announced that its boxers will share their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic and more in the coming days. The PBC social media and digital team will provide five opportunities per week for fans to see, hear and …
Premier Boxing Champions has announced that its boxers will share their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic and more in the coming days.
The PBC social media and digital team will provide five opportunities per week for fans to see, hear and even engage with the fighters about social distancing, boxing, their plans once the crisis subsides and other topics.
On “Time Out with Ray Flores,” which appears Mondays, the ring announcer hosts a 30-45-minute live-stream interview with a different fighter each week on the PBC Instagram page. Errol Spence Jr. appeared with Flores today (April 6).
On The PBC Podcast, hosts Kenneth Bouhairie and Michael Rosenthal ask PBC boxers about their lives during these difficult times and their thoughts on what might be coming up for them. Former two-division titleholder Danny Garcia and former three-division champion Abner Mares will be interviewed this week.
The Podcast is available each Wednesday on the PBC website, iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spreaker and other outlets.
In the “At Home With …” series, each Wednesday and Friday, one fighter will take over the PBC Facebook page to host live “hangouts” from their homes. Fighters will share something topical and answer questions in a casual format. Middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo will appear on Wednesday (April 8) at 4 p.m. ET. Jermell Charlo, a junior middleweight champion, will be featured on Friday (April 10) at the same time.
Each Thursday on the PBC YouTube page, in “Going the Distance”, select PBC fighters will provide commentary on one of their fights. Super middleweight titleholder Caleb Plant will break down his title fight against Jose Uzcategui on Thursday (April 9) at 4 p.m. ET.
And, finally, every Saturday night on “PBC Replay”, entire classic cards from the PBC library will be aired on the PBC YouTube page. The epic battle between Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter will replay this Saturday (April 11) at 8 p.m. ET.
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create …
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create our own “Who Wins?” feature, in which we pit a single fighter against each of five potential opponents and indicate who we believe would win the fights.
We started the series Sunday with our No. 1 boxer pound-for-pound, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Monday we focused on No. 2-rated Terence Crawford and yesterday it was No. 3 Canelo Alvarez’s turn.
Today? No. 4 Naoya Inoue.
The unbeaten Japanese sensation faces Luis Nery, Juan Francisco Estrada, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Roman Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
Note that Estrada, Gonzalez and Sor Rungvisai all fight at junior bantamweight, a division below Inoue’s. Also note that Estrada (No. 9) and Sor Rungvisai (No. 14) are on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list and Gonzalez was on top of the heap not long ago.
As in the case of the previous three subjects, our staffers – Michael Rosenthal, Norm Frauenheim and Sean Nam – give their picks in each of Alvarez’s five fights. We then tally Inoue’s record in those fights and present our standings.
We want to acknowledge that the choice of possible opponents is subjective. We’re looking for the best possible but also realistic foes for our featured boxers. One caveat: We won’t consider promotional and managerial rivalries that often stand in the way of the best matchups. And we’re operating under the assumption that none of our featured boxers will fight with ring rust as result of their forced coronavirus-related layoff.
The plan is to work our way down our pound-for-pound list each day. That means our featured fighter tomorrow will be No. 5 Oleksandr Usyk.
So here goes: Inoue vs. his five potential opponents.
INOUE (19-0, 16 KOs) VS. NERY (30-0, 24 KOs)
Luis Nery (right) has left many of his opponents on the canvas. Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Rosenthal: Luis Nery is a scary proposition for anyone at bantamweight. The question is this: Can he still make 118? The Mexican, who has a history of missing weight, was scheduled to move up to 122 but a fight with Aaron Alameda was canceled because of the coronavirus. If he could make 118? He’d be dangerous for Inoue because they have a similar combination of skill, explosiveness and knockout power. This is a war from beginning to end with Inoue winning a close decision.
Frauenheim: Nery has dangerous power. The left-hander can whack with either hand. But he’s lanky and likes to move inside with long, looping punches. He’s better at moving forward than backing away. Inoue catches him with quick and lethal counters as he steps in. Inoue in a late-round knockout.
Nam: Perhaps the most challenging opponent on here. There is a compelling storyline here, too. Nery fought Inoue’s countryman Shinsuke Yamanaka twice, winning both times, but also cheated both times (tested positive for PEDs after the first bout, missed weight in the second). Nery throws furious combinations, but also swings wide, making him a sitting duck for Inoue’s razor-sharp, compact right hands and left hooks. Inoue by unanimous decision.
***
INOUE VS. ESTRADA (40-3, 27 KOs)
Juan Francisco Estrada (left) is one of the best all-around fighters. John McCoy / Getty Images
Rosenthal: Estrada is a complete fighter, meaning he’s a handful for anyone. He’ll outbox you, he’ll hurt you and he’ll almost certainly beat you. He’s a 115-pounder, though. He has fought above that weight but not against an elite opponent like Inoue. The guess here is that he’d be at too much of a physical disadvantage against Inoue, who would have trouble in the first half of the fight but slowly break Estrada down and win a clear decision.
Frauenheim: Estrada is a classic boxer-puncher, solid in every way. But he was vulnerable to a busy style, which was what Gonzalez used to beat him by decision. Inoue varies the angles and the rate of his combinations, all done to set up his signature punch — a left hook to the body. Inoue, unanimous decision.
Nam: The most skilled fighter here. He also has an underrated chin, as evidenced in his fights against a prime Roman Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (twice). Not sure it holds up here against Inoue at 118. It’s a competitive bout for most of the fight, but Inoue’s power will take over late, eventually earning him a stoppage.
***
INOUE VS. RIGONDEAUX (20-1, 13 KOs)
Guillermo Rigondeaux (left) went back to his safety-first boxing style but still got in his licks against Liborio Solis. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
Rosenthal: Rigondeaux looked comfortable in his move down to 118 to face Liborio Solis in February, which is a bit surprising at his age (39). And the Cuban boxing wizard was effective once he decided to box instead of brawl in his decision victory. If the Cuban sticks with the ideal game plan – box, box, box – he could give Inoue all kinds of trouble. And unlike in his KO loss to Vasiliy Lomachenko, Rigo wouldn’t be at a size disadvantage. This one comes down to the wire and ends in a shocking draw.
Frauenheim: Ten years ago, this would have been great fight. Rigondeaux will be 40 on Sept. 30, according to his bio. That’s old at any weight, ancient at a lighter weight. Rigondeaux is skilled enough to last. But that’s the problem. Inoue, 26, will wear him out late, scoring a unanimous decision.
Nam: If Rigondeaux decides to play spoilsport, he could conceivably win a decision. But given that his reflexes aren’t what they used to be and that in his most recent outings he has resorted to fighting inside the pocket, it’s hard to feel confident in that prediction. Rigondeaux will slip and slide his way to the final bell, but expect Inoue to have landed the more telling shots.
***
INOUE VS. GONZALEZ (49-2, 41 KOs)
Roman Gonzalez (right) resurrected his career as an elite fighter with a victory over Kal Yafai. Amanda Westcott / DAZN
Rosenthal: Gonzalez looked like the juggernaut of old in his ninth-round KO of Kal Yafai at junior bantamweight in February. Still, moving up a division to face a beast like Inoue would be too much to ask for Gonzalez, who seems to be close to his weight ceiling. The Nicaraguan has the ability and experience to hang around for a while but Inoue would gradually wear him down and take him out somewhere around Round 9.
Frauenheim: There’s reason for weight classes. Gonzalez is back for more at bantamweight. But he’s still not quite the fighter he was at 108, 112 and 115 pounds. He’d have beaten Inoue at one of those weights. But Inoue has grown into a mature bantamweight, and he’ll use the leverage to win a late-round TKO.
Nam: When Gonzalez got knocked out by Srisaket sor Rungvisai, it appeared to spoil a potential fight with Inoue when Inoue was still fighting at 115 pounds. But with the way Gonzalez looked in his stoppage of Kal Yafai, who knows? Still, at 118, this is a bridge too far even for Gonzalez. Inoue will move around and try to land potshots. He proved against Donaire that he has the conditioning to go 12 rounds at a fast pace. Inoue by late stoppage.
INOUE VS. SOR RUNGVISAI (47-5-1, 41)
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (right) beat Gonzalez in back to back fights in 2017. AP Photo / Frank Franklin II
Rosenthal: Sor Rungvisai had one of the most impressive streaks in boxing in 2017 and 2018, stopping Roman Gonzalez twice and outpointing Juan Francisco Estrada in consecutive fights. He hasn’t done much since, beating two journeymen and then losing a decision to Estrada in their rematch. The ability and the power still lurk, though. If he could carry that power from 115 to 118, he’d have a chance against Inoue. In the end, though, Inoue’s superior skill set wins the day. Inoue by clear decision.
Frauenheim: Other than his Fight of the Year battle with Nonito Donaire, Inoue’s toughest fight could be Rungvisai. He’s strong. Physicality isn’t exactly a word, but Rungvisai defines it. He could hurt Inoue, who has the skill to elude him. He’s athletic enough to move and smart enough to adjust, all enough for Inoue to win a split decision.
Nam: If Sor Rungvisai demonstrates that his cast iron chin can hold up at 118 pounds, he will gave Inoue some trouble. He’ll push the pace and throw left hand haymakers as Inoue tries to maneuver around the ring and land his potshots. Without the skillset to match Inoue’s, Sor Rungvisai will end up taking a lot of punishment. Inoue by decision.
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create …
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create our own “Who Wins?” feature, in which we pit a single fighter against each of five potential opponents and indicate who we believe would win the fights.
We started Sunday with our No. 1 boxer pound-for-pound, Vasiliy Lomachenko, who faced Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, Miguel Berchelt and Ryan Garcia in our mthyical fights. Yesterday No. 2-rated Terence Crawford was pitted against Errol Spence, Manny Pacquiao, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia.
Today? It’s No. 3 Canelo Alvarez’s turn.
The Mexican star seems to have made a decision to fight at 168 pounds. Thus, we’re pairing him with four super middleweights and arch rival Gennadiy Golovkin, who has fought above 160 pounds.
As in the case of Lomachenko and Crawford, our staffers – Michael Rosenthal, Norm Frauenheim and Sean Nam – give their picks in each of Alvarez’s five fights. We then tally Alvarez’s record in those fights and present our standings.
We want to acknowledge that the choice of possible opponents is subjective. We’re looking for the best possible but also realistic foes for our featured boxers. One caveat: We won’t consider promotional and managerial rivalries that often stand in the way of the best matchups. And we’re operating under the assumption that none of our featured boxers will fight with ring rust as result of their forced coronavirus-related layoff.
The plan is to work our way down our pound-for-pound list each day. That means our featured fighter tomorrow will be No. 4 Naoya Inoue.
So here goes: Alvarez vs. his five potential opponents.
***
ALVAREZ (53-1-2, 36 KOs) VS. GOLOVKIN (40-1-1, 35 KOs)
Is Canelo Alvarez (right) too good for Gennadiy Golovkin at this stage of their careers. Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Rosenthal: Golovkin isn’t as far gone as some seem to believe. He looked so-so in his last fight, a harder-than-expected unanimous-decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko that raised the question: Is the soon-to-be-38-year-old fading? The guess here is that he lacked inspiration, which he would have in abundance for third fight with Alvarez. Part III would look like Parts I and II – give and take from beginning to end – but Alvarez, who is peaking now, is better at this stage of the game. He wins a clear decision this time.
Frauenheim: The second encore will be more of what we saw in the first encore. Golovkin is a couple fights past his prime. His durability is not the same. Lack of body punching in the first two is a sign GGG won’t step inside. Canelo, unanimous decision.
Nam: The win and draw Alvarez has against Golovkin will forever have asterisks attached to them. But if these two ever fight again – there is talk that it could happen this fall – Alvarez will be the decided favorite and it has all to do with the fact that he’s in his prime and Golovkin is not. Since their last meeting, Alvarez has outclassed Daniel Jacobs and stopped light heavyweight Sergey Kovalev. Golovkin meanwhile went life and death against Sergiy Derevyanchenko in a fight he barely edged on the scorecards. Alvarez by convincing unanimous decision.
***
ALVAREZ VS. SAUNDERS (29-0, 14 KOs)
Billy Joe Saunders (left) had more trouble with Marcelo Coceres than most expected. Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
Rosenthal: Saunders is no pushover. He’s a well-schooled, experienced boxer who has never tasted defeat as a professional. The southpaw, like Triple-G, gave a mediocre performance in his most-recent fight – an 11th-round KO of Marcelo Coceres – and it also might’ve had something to do with motivation. At his best, he’s skilled enough to make Alvarez work hard. And that work would pay off. Alvarez would touch Saunders more and more as the fight progresses and ultimately win by late stoppage.
Frauenheim: Remember Canelo-Erislandy Lara? Canelo won, but Lara made him look bad by staying away, always outside and always circling. Saunders will do the same. It’s his only chance. But Canelo is better at cutting off the ring than he was against Lara. Canelo, unanimous decision.
Nam: This is a stinker of a fight. Saunders, the prototypical southpaw cutie, will work behind a busy jab and try to hold whenever Alvarez gets close. It’ll be ugly, but eventually Alvarez’s precise counters to the body will slow Saunders down and gain the approval of the judges. Alvarez by unanimous decision.
ALVAREZ VS. SMITH (27-0, 19 KOs)
Callum Smith (right) has a combination of ability and size that could give Alvarez trouble. Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images
Rosenthal: Smith, too, is coming off sub-par showing — a controversial decision over John Ryder — in his last fight. At his best, Smith is similar to Saunders in terms of his boxing education but he’s taller (6-foot-3) and punches harder, which could make him a legitimate threat to Alvarez. The problem for him will be that he isn’t mobile, which doesn’t bode well in this fight. Alvarez figures to get inside Smith’s long jab, do more and more damage as the fight progresses and win a clear decision.
Frauenheim: Tale of the tape adds up to tactical problems for Canelo. At 6-3, Smith is seven inches taller than Canelo, listed at 5-8. Smith has an a 7½-advantage in reach. Smith is bigger than Sergey Kovalev, who is listed at 6-0. No matter, Canelo stopped Kovalev. He does the same to Smith, scoring a late-round TKO.
Nam: For a time, Smith was touted as perhaps the most talented super middleweight in the world, though that was a flimsy claim given his most important win was against a slightly over-the-hill George Groves. Then in his last bout, Smith looked dreadful against middling British contender John Ryder, who was arguably robbed on the scorecards. Was it just a bad day at the office? Or indicative of some more fundamental deficiencies? Hard to say. What’s clear, though, is that Smith’s long torso makes for easy target practice for Alvarez. Smith doesn’t make it past the 11th round.
ALVAREZ VS. BENAVIDEZ (22-0, 19 KOs)
David Benavidez (right) gave a strong performance in his knockout victory over Anthony Dirrell in September. AP Photo / Ringo H.W. Chiu
Rosenthal: Benavidez is bigger and stronger than Alvarez but he doesn’t have the skill set or experience to handle the man he has described as his dream opponent. The 23-year-old titleholder from Phoenix would be game, of course, but Alvarez would pick him apart, wear him down and eventually stop him.
Frauenheim: A good fight a couple of years from now. The maturing Benavidez has a big upper body. It won’t withstand Canelo’s body punches now. But it might in a few years. Benavidez loves to fight. At 23 years-old, that would get him in trouble. At 25, it’s a different story. Canelo, late-round TKO.
Nam: The most challenging fight for Alvarez. Benavidez brings size, power, and speed, and plenty of intangibles. If Benavidez can take a punch – he’s been knocked down by Ronald Gavril – he may have a shot at upsetting the biggest North American star in the sport. That’s a best-case scenario, though. What’s more likely is that Alvarez’s slippery defense and offensive precision will deliver him yet another win. Alvarez by unanimous decision.
ALVAREZ VS. PLANT (20-0, 12 KOs)
Caleb Plant (left) has speed and athleticism comparable to that of Alvarez. AP Photo / Mark Humphrey
Rosenthal: The slick Plant comes closest among this bunch to matching Alvarez’s speed and athleticism, which could make him difficult for Alvarez to figure out. The problem for Plant could be that he doesn’t have the punching power to keep Alvarez honest, meaning he probably would have to outbox him to win. That’s hard to imagine for a fighter who is still developing. Alvarez by late knockout.
Frauenheim: Might be Canelo’s toughest fight. Plant is hard to hit. He’s known for edgy, in-your-face trash talking. But that’s for new conferences. At opening bell, Plant moves well, in and out, throwing feints and setting traps. But can he elude Canelo’s body-punches? Not for 12 rounds. Canelo wins narrow decision.
Nam: Plant is something of an enigma even after beating Jose Uzcategui to become a super middleweight titleholder. Uzcategui was a middling and overrated fighter, who actually gave Plant fits late in the fight. Since then he has gone up against back-to-back no-hopers in Mike Lee and Vincent Feigenbutz. Plant has some of the smoothest skills in the game, but that cute stuff will only go so far against Alvarez, who will land the more telling punches en route to a unanimous decision win.
Caleb Truax reportedly has pulled out of a tentative matchup with super middleweight titleholder David Benavidez.
David Benavidez reportedly is in need of an opponent again.
The super middleweight titleholder was tentatively set to defend his belt against Caleb Truax, possibly on April 18, according to reports. However, according to ESPN, Truax has pulled out of the fight. No explanation was reported.
Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) is coming off an impressive ninth-round stoppage of Anthony Dirrell in September, which allowed him to regain the belt stripped from him when he tested positive for cocaine.
The Arizonan was supposed to make a mandatory defense against Avni Yildirim but Yildirim was injured, which gave Benavidez the opportunity to face someone of his choice.
Benavidez is expected to face fellow titleholder Caleb Plant as soon as this year but it’s too early for that showdown.
David Benavidez will defend his super middleweight title against Caleb Truax on April 18 on Showtime, according to The Athletic.
It’s not the Caleb many boxing fans would like to see David Benavidez fight but the deal reportedly is done.
Benavidez will defend his super middleweight title against former beltholder Caleb Truax on April 18 on Showtime, according to The Athletic. The site hasn’t been announced.
The fight could help build toward a title-unification showdown with the unbeaten Caleb Plant.
Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) is coming off an impressive ninth-round stoppage of Anthony Dirrell, which allowed him to regain the belt stripped from him when he tested positive for cocaine.
Truax (31-4-2, 19 KOs) won a super middleweight title when he upset James DeGale by decision in 2017 but lost it in the rematch four months later.
The Minnesotan is coming off a majority-decision victory over David Basajjamivule on Jan. 25.
Ryan Garcia still has a lot to prove but first-round knockouts — like the one he turned in Saturday — generate excitement.
GOOD
Ryan Garcia’s one-punch knockout of Francisco Fonseca only 1 minute, 20 seconds into their lightweight fight Friday doesn’t prove much because Fonseca is nothing special.
The excitement Garcia created with his second consecutive first-round stoppage is genuine, though. He’s blossoming into a potential star. That’s what happens when your results in the ring start to catch up to the hype.
Indeed, almost any fighter would love to be in Garcia’s position.
Of course, he still has a long way to go. Only 21, he still hasn’t faced a legitimate threat. Only a true test can give us an idea of how good Garcia truly is and can be.
It could come soon. Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, is eyeing a matchup between Garcia and former three-division titleholder Jorge Linares in July. If Garcia can win that fight – a big if, in my opinion – he will have made a strong statement.
I wonder whether Garcia’s handlers would live to regret the decision to fight the gifted Linares, who demonstrated in his fourth-round knockout of Carlos Morales on the Garcia-Fonseca card that he has more to give, but I would applaud the bold move.
Garcia, bubbling with confidence, definitely thinks big. He reeled off immediately after his stoppage of Fonseca a gauntlet of opponents he’d like to face in the near future – Linares, Luke Campbell, Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney.
That’s quite a gauntlet he’s laid out for himself. We’ll see how many of them – if any – he fights and how he performs once he does.
In the meantime, Garcia has our attention. That’s more than all but a few professional boxers can say.
BAD
Referee Jack Reiss watches closely as a wild ending to the Abel Ramos-Bryant Perrella fight unfolds. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
The last-second stoppage of the Abel Ramos-Bryant Perrella fight on the Caleb Plant-Vincent Feigenbutz card Saturday in Nashville might’ve seemed cruel to Perrella, who was winning on all cards when he lost in an instant.
The fact is referee Jack Reiss was following the rules.
According to the Unified Rules of Boxing, under which that bout was fought, “A fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the final round.” That means, if I understand it correctly, an injured boxer must be in condition to fight even if the three minutes of the last round has expired.
Reiss judged that Perrella, who had gone down twice in the final seconds, was in no condition to continue and waved off the fight.
The frustration expressed by Perrella’s cornerman Michael Nowling in the ring immediately after the stoppage was understandable: “We won every round and they took it from us with 1 second left.”
The rules took it from Perrella, not “they.” And not Reiss. The referee, as trainer and TV analyst Joe Goossen said, isn’t a timekeeper. His job is to look after the welfare of the combatants in the ring with him and follow the rules.
That’s what Reiss did. Good stoppage.
WORSE
Vincent Feigenbutz (left) didn’t have the tools to compete with Caleb Plant on Saturday night. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions
It seems to me that sanctioning bodies are supposed to have a champion and then rank the next 10 best contenders in each division.
The reality? The alphabet organizations rank their contenders based less on merit than on how much money they can make. The result of that is a matchup like Caleb Plant vs. Vincent Feigenbutz for Plant’s IBF super middleweight title.
Feigenbutz, ranked No. 1 by the IBF, is a strong, sturdy young man but he had no business in the ring with a fighter of Plant’s ability. The fact he was the mandatory challenger is yet another red flag that the system is a mess.
Plant’s title defense, which ended by 10th-round knockout, couldn’t even be described as a competitive fight. Feigenbutz, an eight-year pro, has rudimentary skills and courage but not the tools to give the titleholder a legitimate challenge. Aren’t title fights supposed to be competitive at least on paper?
Anyone watching that fight who didn’t feel sorry for the German in the latter rounds has no heart. And anyone not disgusted with the IBF has no sense.
Sadly, there is no solution is sight. Some sort of oversight body – ideally an international one – might help but that isn’t going to happen any time soon. I personally try to minimize the sanctioning bodies by mentioning them infrequently but that’s only a small gesture.
We’re stuck with the murky alphabet soup and mismatches like Plant-Feigenbutz. I just hope fans can see through their self-serving game.
The World Boxing Super Series will return for a third season later this fall, according to WBSS organizer Nisse Sauerland.
The third season of the World Boxing Super Series has a working date, but the weight classes are still up in the air.
Nisse Sauerland, who runs the WBSS with his brother Kalle, told FightHubTV at the Caleb Plant-Vincent Feigenbutz post-fight press conference in Nashville that he expects the next installment of the tournament will begin in the last quarter of the year.
“We’re gearing up for season three, which will start September, October time,” Sauerland said.
The season two cruiserweight finals between Yunier Dorticos and Mairis Briedis has been set for March 21 in Riga, Latvia.
Sauerland, however, wouldn’t tip his hand as to which weight classes they would be concentrating on for their next installment.
“Me and my brother have sort of given up calling weights,” Sauerland said. “Because whenever (somebody says), ‘ah, that would be a great weight, middleweights,’ then suddenly loads of things happens and it just doesn’t become possible. It’s just like a dream that doesn’t come true.We’ll start calling that closer to the time. Boxing can change very quickly.”
Sauerland says he expects to finalize which weight classes will be featured in the next season by “May, June time.”
As for the weight classes that he’s most personally keen on, Sauerland cited a few.
“Lightweights would be great. There’s a lot of weight classes I like at the moment,” he said. “Middleweight, super middles again. Lots of interesting weights out there.”
Since its inception in 2017, the WBSS has been heavily lauded for finding a way to get the best fighters to face each other in an otherwise fragmented sport beleaguered by internal politics. Cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk and super middleweight Callum Smith were anointed as the winners of the first season. Last year, the WBSS crowned Josh Taylor and Naoya Inoue as (partially) unified titleholders in the junior welterweight and bantamweight tournaments, respectively.
Caleb Plant said he wants to unify the 168-pound titles, which is why he called out David Benavidez after his title defense Saturday.
Editor’s note: This story was originally posted on Tennessean.com.
***
Moments after successfully defending his super middleweight title for the second time, Nashville’s Caleb Plant made it clear Saturday who he wants to fight next: undefeated David Benavidez, who also holds a 168-pound belt.
Plant has made it clear his goal is to unify the title, which is why he called out Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs). In fact, Plant said he first let Benavidez know he wanted a fight when Benavidez won the title two years ago from Monday.
Caleb Plant (left) has his eye on title unification after stopping Vincent Feigenbutz on Saturday in Nashville. Brett Carlsen / Getty Images
“I want to unify, I want that fight with David Benavidez,” Plant said. “When he won that world title against Ronald Gavril (Feb. 17, 2018) I was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Before he could even get to the bottom of the stairs, I was standing there asking him, ‘When are we going to make this happen?’
“I don’t see too many other fighters standing at the bottom of the stairs right after somebody wins saying, ‘Hey, when are we going to get it cracking?'”
Benavidez has a mandatory defense coming up in the spring against Avni Yildirim. Plant said he hopes to fight at least once more this year.
Plant realizes it may be too soon for a fight to come together with Benavidez but said he will continue to push for it.
“I’ve been wanting that, I’ve been pushing for that,” he said. “I know we’re both young in our career. I know they’re trying to build us up and turn that into a bigger fight, but I’m a fighter. There ain’t no sense in waiting.”
Benavidez responded to Plant on Instagram after Plant’s win Saturday and seemed to be just as eager to fight.
“Let’s get this done don’t want to keep the fans waiting,” Benavidez posted.
Benavidez’s last fight was on Sept. 28, when he knocked out Anthony Dirrell in the ninth round in Los Angeles. Benavidez regained his title in that fight. He had been stripped of it after testing positive for cocaine in 2018.
Caleb Plant made short work of Vincent Feigenbtuz stopping the German – in style – in front of his hometown crowd of Nashville.
Nashville has a new act in town.
In a rousing hometown debut at the Bridgestone Arena, super middleweight titleholder Caleb Plant ran roughshod over unknown German Vincent Feigenbutz, peppering his hapless foe all night with a barrage of creative combinations en route to a dominant 10th-round stoppage.
Referee Malik Waleed waved the bout off at the 2:23 mark.
A mismatch through and through, the fight, scheduled for 12 rounds, nevertheless attracted a strong turnout in a city not known for its boxing. If Saturday night was any indication, that could soon change. This was Plant’s second straight successful title defense after winning the IBF belt in a points win over Jose Uzcategui in 2019.
“I could have gone all night,” Plant said. “I felt great. I was relaxed, sharp. I told you I was going to stop this fight before the 12th round.”
Working behind an educated left hand, Plant (20-0, 12 KOs), who now lives and trains in Las Vegas, picked apart Feigenbutz (31-3, 28 KOs) with surgical precision, at times landing four-to-eight unanswered punches. And they were a beauty in their variety: uppercuts, hooks, straight rights and hard lefts to the body. It was a masterclass from a fighter who was largely obscure a couple of years ago.
Feigenbutz, who did not have an amateur career, made a rare spirited effort in Round 6, rushing at Plant with a barrage of punches, few of which landed. At the end of the salvo, Plant shook his head and blew a kiss, much to the crowd’s delight. That pretty much summed up the night. One could say Feigenbutz flashed something of an iron chin in withstanding the punishment, but he showed little else.
The fight slowed down briefly in the second half, but Plant picked up the pace in Round 9, bamboozling Feigenbutz with a long combination to start the round. The finishing touches came in Round 10, when Plant showered Feigenbutz with yet another series of unanswered punches, prompting referee Waleed to stop the bout.
Postfight, Plant made it clear he has his eyes set on facing fellow titleholder David Benavidez next.
“Everybody knows I want that unification bout with David Benavidez,” Plant said. “Everybody knows who the best 168-pounder is. If you want it, you have to come see me. I’ve been asking for his fight forever, I’m tired of waiting.”
