IBF Super Middleweight Champion, Caleb Plant Willing to Face the Best From 160-175 Lbs!
Super middleweight champion, Caleb Plant’s confidence at an all-time high following impressive 3rd round TKO win over, Mike Lee.
If you haven’t had the privilege to watch Tennessee native, Caleb Plant fight yet, you’re missing a thing of beauty. Plant, 19-0 (11-knockouts) is not only a defensive wizard with a smooth style and high ring IQ, but his counter punching abilities and improved power makes for crowd pleasing fights. Those skills were on full display when, Plant dismantled the previously undefeated, Mike Lee on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman PPV. Lee had won 21-consecutive fights before being dropped and stopped by Plant. In fact, Plant put Lee down four times during the short scrap that lasted less than 3-rounds. Plant captured his IBF supermiddleweight championship in January by defeating, Jose Uzcategui. A fight in which many viewed, Plant as the underdog. Lee was his first title defense and he passed with flying colors. Now, Plant is casting his net far and wide and he eyes showdowns with the best from divisions both higher and lower than the 168-pound division he serves as a current world-champion in; saying he wants the best from 160 and 175.
During a recent conversation with the undefeated, Plant, he expresses his desire to become an undisputed champion, gives his prediction for the upcoming clash between, David Benavidez and Anthony Dirrell and much more!
Congratulations on your win over, Mike Lee. I’m sure you were very pleased with your performance.
Caleb Plant: Yes, everything went as planned and I got the KO like I said I would.
You guys had a good amount of animosity and war of words going into the fight. It seemed to be all patched up afterwards. Did something happen that made you not like him leading up to the fight or was he across the ring from you and that’s enough ammo?
Caleb Plant: It’s just the nature of the business. I have no hard feelings toward Mike Lee. Everyone I’m up against must earn my respect in the ring. Mike Lee went out with everything he had so I give him a lot of credit. Leading up to any fight I’m going to be the same way, with bad intentions on my mind. This is the hurt game. It’s just business.
You pretty much broke him down and did what you wanted to in there. Going by what you had seen from him, did you sense he was in over his head once the contracts were signed or did you actually have to get in there with him and see he didn’t belong in there with you?
Caleb Plant: I knew he really hadn’t fought anyone at the top level, but he was undefeated, and that was something I took seriously. All it takes is one punch and your whole world can be turned upside down. I wasn’t about to let the happen so just like every fight, I worked hard in the gym to be ready on fight night. Once I got in there, I knew he wasn’t ready for my speed and power.
Anything about Mike Lee surprise you, or was he as advertised and exactly what you expected?
Caleb Plant: Na nothing he did surprised me. He showed a lot of heart and he’s a true warrior in my mind. I wish him nothing but success in his future, inside and outside of the ring.
You put him down with the lead left hook and then everything else seemed to work off that. You would feint the lead left hook and touch the body or come upstairs with the right hand; which eventually led to knockdowns and the 3rd round stoppage. You are a very calculated dude in there, my man.
Caleb Plant: Yes, I have one of the best young trainers in boxing in in Justin Gamber who is a real student of the game. We were working on all that stuff in camp, especially the left hook. Everything worked out just like I envisioned.
You also have a lot of poise and calmness for a guy with just 19-fights. Each time you hurt him you took your time and placed your shots. Where does that poise come from so early into your career?
Caleb Plant: That comes from all the adversity I’ve had to deal with. People have no idea what real pressure. When I’m in that ring I’m in total control. I was born to be a fighter and being calm in the ring is something I learned a long time ago.
I have talked to world-champions before and some of them have said, they didn’t feel like a world-champion until they got that first defense out of the way. Did that apply to you as well?
Caleb Plant: I would have to say there is some truth to that. As I’ve said in past interviews, the goal was not to win a world title, but to keep it an become the first undisputed champ in the super middleweight division. Now that I got my first world title defense under my belt, I’m ready to take over the division.
Obviously, you will be an interested spectator in September when, David Benavidez and Anthony Dirrell square off. How do you see that fight playing out?
Caleb Plant: I think David Benavidez is going to be too much for Dirrell. I think that fight ends with Benavidez winning by KO. With that being said, he knows where to find me. That fight is going to be big when it happens, Benavidez and myself that is.
If the winner of that fight is next, do you have a choice as to which one of those guys you would like to mix it up against in the near future?
Caleb Plant: I’m willing to fight the best. My resume in 19 fights speaks for itself. I’m ready and willing to fight anyone from 160 to 175.
Congratulations again on a very clean performance, I look forward to seeing you in there again soon. Is there anything else you would like to add before I let you go?
Caleb Plant: I just want to say I’m grateful for my team who works really hard behind the scenes to make these fights happen. To all my fans I want to say thank you for the support. You will be seeing me in big fights from this point on. I’m ready to become the first undisputed middleweight champion in boxing history.
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