David Benavidez has accused Caleb Plant of displaying a clear weakness during his fight with Canelo Alvarez in 2021.
Benavidez and Plant look to close in on a shot at Canelo when they clash in a final eliminator for the undisputed super middleweight champion’s WBC crown in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Plant was stopped in the eleventh round of his bout with Alvarez, with the Mexican ripping away his IBF belt in the process.
A conversation between the pair during the ninth round was captured by a ringside videographer in which ‘Sweethands’ was overheard saying: “I respect your skills.”
Alvarez replied: “I know.”
Overheard in Round 9 🗣#CaneloPlant @Canelo @SweetHandsPlant pic.twitter.com/t512h1wJoX
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) November 7, 2021
To which Plant said: “I’m pretty good for 21-0, huh?”
Benavidez, who heads into Saturday’s highly-anticipated showdown unbeaten in 26 professional fights, believes his rival displayed a degree of insecurity in that moment when he spoke to Canelo.
“That’s a sign of weakness,” the 26-year-old told reporters following Wednesday’s workout.
“He was already breaking down.
“Just how he was breaking down in that fight I’m going to break him down too.
“That’s basically what I have to say about that.
“The fans like to see knockouts and stoppages and I’m not going to stop here.
“I’ve worked the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life and this is the most important [moment] I’ve ever had in my life.
“So it’s time to continue to give the fans what they want to see and Caleb Plant is no different.
“I’m going to break his a** down.”
Plant bounced back from defeat to Canelo by brutally knocking out Anthony Dirrell in nine rounds in Brooklyn in October.
Benavidez has scored six stoppages on the spin, his last a third round wipeout of David Lemieux in May.
The winner of this fight could still be waiting his turn for a meeting with Alvarez with the Mexican four-weight world champion defending his belts in a homecoming bout against WBA mandatory, John Ryder on May 6.
Should the 32-year-old prevail, he is expected to seek revenge over WBA light heavyweight world champion, Dmitry Bivol in a rematch.
