Benavidez pounds Plant in 2nd half for decision, calls out Canelo

'The Mexican Monster' and former titlist put bitter grudge to rest

Dan Rafael

Mar 26, 2023

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“The Mexican Monster” was on the loose in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

David Benavidez overcame a slow start to score a career-best victory as he beat down the game Caleb Plant throughout the second half of the much-anticipated Showtime PPV main event to win a unanimous decision and retain the WBC interim super middleweight title before an announced sellout crowd of 13,865 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Angling for a shot at undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez, who is also boxing’s biggest star, Benavidez made his case with a 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 victory to retain the interim belt for the first time in a big-time grudge match with former titleholder Plant in a showdown of the division’s best fighters not named Canelo.

Benavidez got off to a bit of a slow start against the agile Plant, who used the 22-by-22-foot ring he negotiated and got the Nevada commission to approve — two feet bigger than the standard ring — to his advantage.

He led 59-55 and 58-56 on two scorecards and the third was 57-57 at the halfway point of the fight. But Benavidez, a former two-time full WBC titlist known for coming on strong later in fights, won the final six rounds on all three scorecards as he pressured and pounded Plant.

“I’m happy we gave the fans the best rivalry of the year or the last five years,” Benavidez said. “I’m just very happy.”

‘We fought like warriors in the ring and this guy’s a fucking hell of a fighter,’ — Benavidez
‘You’re hell of fighter too,’ — Plant

Referee Kenny Bayless, who has been one of best referees in boxing for decades, seemed indifferent to Plant’s constant holding, especially early on, but Benavidez kept his cool.

“Kenny Bayless is a hell of a referee but he didn’t give Caleb Plant no warnings the whole fight,” Benavidez said. “But it is what it is and I still had to work through it. He was a tough fighter and we had figure out a way around that but we gave the fans a hell of a fight.”

Said Plant: “I was trying to hold him when necessary, punch him when necessary, and throw my combinations when necessary. But when the best get in there with the best, you roll the dice and someone is going to come out with their hand raised and someone will come up short. And one thing that I pat myself on the back for is I got in there and I’ve rumbled with the best in the world. I haven’t ducked nobody and maybe we can have a rematch in the future.”

The long-simmering feud between the fighters was at center stage throughout the promotion. They both claimed a deep hatred for the other man and Benavidez vowed to break Plant’s jaw inside six rounds. But after such a rough fight they had earned each other’s respect.

Benavidez, who said he would not to shake Plant’s hand afterward, did so. They even hugged.

“I want to give a big shout out Caleb Plant. I know there was a lot said between us but we fought like warriors in the ring and this guy’s a fucking hell of a fighter,” Benavidez said with Plant nearby.

Plant heard Benavidez during the in-ring interview and interjected, “You’re hell of fighter too.”

Plant began the fight by moving and working his jab to the head and body of the slow-starting Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs), 26, of Phoenix. The question was how long would Plant be able to keep him at bay.

Even though Plant (22-2, 13 KOs), 30, of Las Vegas, knocked Benavidez back with a solid left hand in the third round, Benavidez never wavered. He continued to march forward and began closing the distance as Plant tried to hold more and more to blunt his attack.

Benavidez said he was never concerned about losing the early rounds.

“I knew I had to take it step by step, round by round,” he said. “Caleb is a tough fighter. He’s not going to give you everything in the first couple rounds so you have to find him. But I feel like I didn’t just show that I was a power puncher tonight. I showed that I had defense and head movement and I was able to move around the ring and cut the ring off really good.”

Benavidez drove Plant to a corner in the fifth round and landed a powerful left hook but Plant played to the crowd and began taunting him.

Benavidez began to take over a couple of rounds later. Plant split Benavidez’s high guard with a left hand in the seventh round and he went into the ropes but Plant did not have many more big moments.

Benavidez hurt Plant with a hard right hand in the eighth round that caused him to hold, seemingly to keep from going down. He also suffered a vertical cut over his right eye from an accidental head butt, causing blood to cover his face for the rest of the fight.

“I got a head butt but it’s no excuse,” Plant said. “David was the better man tonight and I take nothing from him. Congratulations to him and his family. He’s a hell of a fighter.”

Benavidez continued to land big shots and walked through whatever Plant was throwing at him even though Bayless continued to break them extremely quickly when they got close to each other.

‘I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez, but he has to give me that shot now,’ — Benavidez

Plant seemed to be fading in the 10th round as Benavidez pounded him to the head and body. It was such a one-sided round it could have been scored 10-8 even without a knockdown. Plant trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards was concerned enough in the corner after the round that he told Plant he needed to see something or he would stop the fight.

Plant, whose only other loss was an 11th-round knockout to Alvarez when they met to unify all four 168-pound belts to produce an undisputed champion in November 2021, did enough to stay upright but he was no threat over the final two rounds.

A huge left hook hurt Plant early in the 11th and it was surprising he didn’t go down. He also somehow made it though the 12th round, after which the once bitter rivals embraced.

“I hit him with a lot of hard shots,” Benavidez said. “I would talk shit but I like this guy now and I don’t want to keep it going.

“We were never going to settle (the rivalry) until we got into the ring but we got into the ring and settled it like men. I took his hardest shots and he took my hardest shots and the good thing is that we’re still standing at the end of the day and we can go back to our families.”

As far as Plant was concerned the rivalry had also been put to bed.

“I feel good, my mind’s right. I feel fine and David is a hell of a fighter,” Plant said. “It’s a big rivalry but that’s what boxing is about. We came in here and settled it like men. I take nothing from David. We haven’t been the best of friends but we got into the ring and we settled it like men. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”

According to CompuBox, Benavidez, who was clearly the heavier puncher, landed 210 of 551 punches (38 percent), including 180 of 419 power shots (43 percent), and Plant connected with just 91 of 624 (15 percent). Benavidez outlanded Plant in every round except the second, when he held a 13-5 advantage.

When Benavidez pulled away in the second half of the fight, he outlanded Plant 161-46 in from rounds 7-12. He landed 43 shots in the 10th round, the most ever landed in one round by a Plant opponent.

“I think I was catching him with a lot of power shots and that’s why I’m called ‘The Mexican Monster,’ because I keep coming like a monster,” Benavidez said.

Now Benavidez wants to face Alvarez in what would be the biggest fight in boxing below the heavyweight division in terms of fan appeal, excitement in the ring and big money.

As interim titleholder, Benavidez can expect to be appointed as Alvarez’s WBC mandatory challenger. Alvarez is set to face John Ryder, his WBO mandatory, on May 6 and then plans to fight again in mid-September around the Mexican Independence Day weekend. There has been talk of Alvarez facing WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol in a rematch of Bivol’s upset decision win last May. But a fight with Mexican-American Benavidez would be a blockbuster.

“I just want to tell everybody that I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez, but he has to give me that shot now,” Benavidez said. “That’s what everybody wants to see. Let’s make it happen in September.

“I don’t think he’s trying to avoid me. I just feel like he has a lot of options. But now the fans are calling for this fight, the legends are calling for this fight, so let’s make it happen.”