Is Caleb Plant Still A Big Name?

Caleb Plant still feels he is a top fighter, despite his loss to José Armando Reséndiz. 

Plant is the former IBF Super Middleweight Champion, but at 33, he is no longer the same fighter. He lost his belt to Canelo Alvarez, who would later become the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion. After the Canelo loss, Plant has just secured two wins out of four, beating Anthony Dirrell and Trevor McCumby. Aside from the Reséndiz and Canelo losses, Plant has only come up short against Benavidez, the current WBC Light Heavyweight Champion. And yet, there are some matchups that would provide Plant with a significant payday including fights against Edgar Berlanga, Jermall Charlo, or Jaime Munguía. 

Plant’s Options

A fight with Charlo would sell out due to their “slap incident” that occurred when Plant slapped Jermall after the latter grabbed his beard at the Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford weigh-in. Meanwhile, Munguia is coming off a failed PED test following his win over Bruno Surace, while Berlanga was stopped by Hamzah Sheeraz. Plant is currently ranked 5th by the WBA and 12th by the WBC at super middleweight, as he still has eyes on big fights. 

“A lot of big names, a lot of big fights that can be made. I feel like I’m still here at the top,” Plant said 

Plant’s commercial value is still there. His status as the fighter who unified the division before losing to Canelo Alvarez, along with his competitive history with David Benavidez, makes him a solid name in the division. However, Plant’s claim that he is still “at the top” is competitively false. His performances have shown a clear decline since the Canelo fight. While a fighter in the top five of one body might still be considered elite, his drop to the mid-teens in the WBC rankings shows he is trailing the next generation of top contenders.