Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant preview
Preview of Canelo vs Caleb for Super Middleweight supremacy, plus WBC stats
By James Blears
Every fan is hoping the fight between WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Vs IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Hunter “Sweet Hands” Plant on November 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise Las Vegas, will be a competitive thriller, with the prize of first ever undisputed monarch in this division, there for the taking.
But Garden of Eden this isn`t! Undaunted Caleb, relishes the chance to test his skills, guile and mettle against Boxing`s number one pound for pound fighter. Canelo 56-1-2, 38 KO`s is at the very peak of his powers and at the very zenith of his brilliantly accumulated skills. While undefeated Caleb 21-0, 12Ko`s, exudes subtlety, intelligence, the finesse of boxing ability and the cool courage plus self- belief, to make this a great contest, stressing he`s determined to win and pull off a monumental upset.
Seeing is believing but feeling is knowing. Caleb faces a steep uphill learning curve. He`ll never have been hit so hard as he`s going to be on the big night. So to avoid an excess of this, he must judiciously engage, drawing upon the reservoir of all his ingenuity and acknowledged boxing IQ.
Caleb`s debut as a pro boxer was at twenty one years old. By contrast, Canelo started aged just fifteen. What have they learned along the way, and who can best apply it in these particular circumstances?
Styles make fights. The question is whether taller, rangy Caleb can use his astute, educated left jab and acutely accurate combinations, utilizing the angles, to keep powerhouse Canelo at bay, and outfox as well as outbox him, evading that pursuing, punishing and potentially pulverizing body attack, which has worn down, broken up, demolished then swept aside so many thoroughly chastised chastened opponents.
To win, Caleb must exceed the performance of Floyd Mayweather, who long ago, inflicted Canelo`s only defeat on points, when Saul was still an almost fledgling far from finished article at twenty three. And go Won better than southpaw Erislandy Lara, who posed tricky problems, but was then milling on the retreat and as such, didn’t do enough to win a decision.
With his body of work, fully matured, Canelo is old school and highly effective. Full marks! Covering up doesn`t necessarily offer protection, as also tall Callum Smith discovered, when he suffered a detached left bicep, doing well to survive twelve blistering, bludgeoning rounds during which Canelo cut down the distance and cut loose with a cascade of heavy punching, coming up short of chopping him down.
The seeds of temporary animosity were sewn and unattractively sprouted during a presser on September 21st, when sweet turned to sour and Cinnamon flared, with a two way slapper cake exchange. Temporary frayed and lost tempers might provide buds of motivation, but a cool mistral wind of tempered aggression from both sides, will swirl and be brought to bear, when they exchange leather. Its gusts will blow away the cobwebs of any lingering residual ill will.
The negotiations for this fight became prolonged, ploughed up and tangled. Canelo`s team was exploring the potential of a fight against WBA “Super” light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, before it came back down to earth, diverting from that different furrow.
Caleb deservedly earned his opportunity by right of winning the IBF title in his eighteenth fight, defeating Jose Uzcategui with a UD. Jose had been interim champion and was promoted to absolute champion following James “Chunky” DeGale vacating the title.
An awkward eleventh month layoff before it happened, because Caleb broke his left hand in training and underwent surgery plus rehab. When the fight finally happened, it wasn`t all plain sailing. Caleb put him down in the second with a well- placed left hook. But was cut over the right eye in the third, and staggered by a short right hook in the ninth, losing that round and the next. But rallying to win, with a UD: 116-110, 116-11O and 115-111.
He came though his potentially toughest test with relative ease against IBF ex- champion Caleb Truaux this January 30th, with a thrice 120-108 UD. A good graduation indicator, because tough Traux had won the title off DeGale, only to then lose it back to him by UD.
Canelo has faced and overcome so many quality opponents, winning championships in four divisions. Recent evidence of his tremendous power at light heavyweight can be seen with the eleventh round crushing KO of WBO champoion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, ruthlessly exploiting a momentary lapse in concentration, to resounding bring the curtain down with a clatter, at a canter.
Canelo and Trainer Eddy Reynoso, who along with Pop “Chepo,” has been with Saul every step of the way, say this fight might contain some initial complications, but each is convinced their man, will wear down, wear out and overcome Caleb around the half- way point. Aged thirty one, Canelo is more experienced than Caleb who`s two years younger. On his side Caleb is fresher and has not had to overcome so many exacting tests.
To stand a viable chance of victory, Caleb must pick and choose his moments to plant his feet and punch hard, yet knowing exactly when to avoid and evade whirlwind retaliation, utilizing willow-like resilience, while inflicting measured birch like masterstrokes, in order to try and earn his place in the sun.
Patience rather than impulsiveness. A biscuit with a discerning touch of caviar, rather than a clumsy dollop. Caleb must also plant his sweet hands, and fight his best fight ever, so as to stem, hold back, divert and dam/damn it, to confound an oncoming tide, because come it surely will!
The victor of this well balanced intriguing contest must be able to thrive in the limelight and remain cool plus contained under its glare. As poet Dylan Thomas wrote: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Do not go gentle into that good night.”
WBC STATS
This will be the WBC’S 2,120 Championship fight in their 58-year history
WBC SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSRAY LEONARD (US) 1988 – 1990
1. MAURO GALVANO (ITALY) 1990 – 1992
2. NIGEL BENN (GB) 1992 – 1996
3. THULANE MALINGA (S. AFR) 1996
4. VINCENZO NARDIELLO (ITA) 1996
5. ROBIN REID (GB) 1996 – 1997
6. THULANE MALINGA (S. AFR) * 1997 – 1998
7. RICHIE WOODHALL (GB) 1998 – 1999
8. MARKUS BEYER (GERMANY) 1999 – 2000
9. GLENN CATLEY (GB) 2000
10. DINGAAN THOBELA (S. AFR) 2000
11. DAVE HILTON (CAN) 2000
12. ERIC LUCAS (CAN) 2001 – 2003
13. MARKUS BEYER (GERMANY) * 2003 – 2004
14. DANNY GREEN (AUSTRALIA) INTERIM 2003 – 2005
15. CRISTIAN SANAVIA (ITALY) 2004
16. MARKUS BEYER (GERMANY) * 2004 – 2006
17. MIKKEL KESSLER (DENMARK) 2006 – 2007
18. JOE CALZAGHE (GB) 2007
19. CARL FROCH (GB) 2008 – 2010
20. MIKKEL KESSLER (DENMARK) * (EMERITUS) 2010
21. CARL FROCH (GB) * 2010 – 2011
22. ANDRE WARD (US) 2011 – 2012
23. SAKIO BIKA (CAMEROON) 2013 – 2014
24. ANTHONY DIRRELL (US) 2014 – 2015
25. BADOU JACK (GAMBIA/SWEDEN) 2015 – 2017
26. DAVID BENAVIDEZ (US) IN RECESS 2017 – 2018
27. ANTHONY DIRRELL (US) * 2019
28. DAVID BENAVIDEZ (US) * 2019 – 2020
29. SAUL ALVAREZ (MEXICO) 2020 – * REGAINED
WBC's Top 10 super-middleweight champions
1. RAY LEONARD (US)
2. JOE CALZAGHE (GB)
3. NIGEL BENN* (GB)
4. ANDRE WARD (US)
5. MARKUS BEYER (GERMANY)
6. CARL FROCH (GB)
7. MIKKEL KESSLER (DENMARK)
8. ROBIN REID (GB)
9. DANNY GREEN (AUSTRALIA)
10. ERIC LUCAS (CANADA)
*Nigel Benn has the record for most defences with 10.
Interesting stats on the WBS super-middleweight championship
Three of only 23 WBC World super-middleweight champions to regain their title:
1. MARKUS BEYER (GERMANY)
2. THULANE MALINGA (S. AFRICA)
3. CARL FROCH (GB)
The 81 World title bouts in the super-middleweight division have been held in 12 different countries.
Canelo vs Plant will be the 29th to be held in the US.
USA - 28
ENGLAND - 21
GERMANY - 13
CANADA - 5
ITALY - 4
DENMARK - 3
WALES - 2
SOUTH ARABIA - 1
SOUTH AFRICA - 1
SCOTLAND - 1
MONACO - 1
FINLAND - 1
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