After a two-year hiatus, Las Vegas will welcome back one of its adopted sons Saturday night. It is fitting that an undisputed championship is on the line as future Hall of Fame boxer Canelo Alvarez faces the popular Caleb Plant, who hails from Tennessee. In a city known for big gambling, the MGM Grand Garden Arena will host as Alvarez puts up his WBC, WBA and WBO super-middleweight belts as the stake for Plant’s IBF title.
The usual talk of height and reach will once again be a concession for the 31-year-old Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs), as Plant will be enjoying an extra 5 inches in height and 3.5 inches in wingspan. Will that mean anything? Alvarez has been facing taller fighters for most of his career. He also is confident he has the power to stop almost anybody, as his last six fights have included four stoppages.
Only two early finishes have come in Plant’s last eight contests against lower-level fighters, and that is key. I believe the 29-year-old Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) will achieve beyond expectations if he can survive the 12-round distance, but I don’t think he will accomplish this feat. He will be game, but will feel the heat early, and I can’t see him surviving deep into the second half of this fight. Alvarez will make history as the first four-belt super-middleweight champion.
The play: Under 9.5 rounds (-115).