- David Benavidez has opened as the slight betting favorite against Caleb Plant.
- Benavidez and Plant have signed contracts for a super middleweight showdown in the first quarter of 2023.
- Plant sensationally stopped Anthony Dirrell in his last bout while Benavidez knocked out David Lemieux in his most recent outing.
Former super middleweight champions David Benavidez and Caleb Plant have been circling each other for years and have traded verbal barbs along the way.
Now the two have signed contracts to face each other in a 168-pound showdown many have been looking forward to:
David Benavidez and Caleb Plant have signed contracts for a super middleweight fight in 2023, sources tell @mikecoppinger. pic.twitter.com/OZn6vi52Ua
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) November 3, 2022
According to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, the fight will take place during the first quarter of 2023 and will be carried by Premier Boxing Champions on pay-per-view.
Caleb Plant Scores Vicious Knockout of Anthony Dirrel
Caleb Plant rebounds from the loss to Canelo with a vicious knockout of Anthony Dirrell. Damn. A fight with David Benavidez next would be huge. #PlantDirrell #WilderHeleniuspic.twitter.com/c7NfGH58it
— WG (@NvictusManeo) October 16, 2022
Plant bounced back from his loss to Canelo Alvarez with a vicious one-punch knockout of former two-time WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell last October 15th. 11 months earlier, Plant lost the IBF 168-pound title to Canelo Alvarez in a title unification bout. The loss was the first of Plant’s professional boxing career and allowed Alvarez to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing.
The 30-year-old from Ashland, Tennessee won the IBF super middleweight belt by defeating Juan Uzcategui in 2019. He would go on to successfully defend the title against Mike Lee, Vincent Feigenbutz, and Caleb Truax before facing Alvarez for all the marbles. Canelo outboxed Plant and eventually won the fight via 11th round TKO.
Overall, Plant has a record of 22-1 with 13 knockouts. This will mark only the third time in his career that Plant has opened as the betting underdog. Plant opened at +260 odds when he fought Uzcategui for the belt in 2019 and closed at +130 in that bout. Meanwhile, he hit the betting boards at +400 against Canelo and entered the ring at +550 odds.
David Benavidez Stops David Lemieux in Three Rounds
David Benavidez battered gutsy David Lemieux to defeat in three rounds at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
"Mike Tyson gave me the name ‘The Mexican Monster', what do you think I'm gonna do?” Benavidez said. “I'm the strongest 168-pounder. No one can mess with me.” pic.twitter.com/6c2QKyMA5B
— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) May 22, 2022
Meanwhile, David Benavidez is coming off a third-round knockout win over former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux at Glendale’s Gila River Arena last May 21st. The win gave Benavidez the interim WBC super middleweight title, a belt created as the champion, Canelo Alvarez, moved up in weight class to challenge WBC light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol last May 7th.
The 25-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona is the youngest fighter in boxing history to win the 168-pound title. Benavidez won the WBC super middleweight title by defeating Ronald Gavril via split decision in 2017. He was just 21 years, 8 months, and 22 days old when he won the title. He was stripped of the belt in 2018, after defeating Dirrell, after he tested positive for cocaine in a VADA drug test. Benavidez has recorded four consecutive knockout wins since returning from suspension.
Dubbed the Mexican Monster by boxing great Mike Tyson, Benavidez is undefeated in 26 bouts with 23 of his wins coming by way of knockout. Many consider him one of the world’s most avoided fighters. Benavidez has opened at odds -400 or shorter in his previous bouts and has closed at odds longer than +1000 only once before. Against Plant, he will be facing his toughest test to date as he hit the betting boards at -182 odds.
