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Mike CoppingerESPN
In the end, Canelo Alvarez got his man.
Boxing’s top star and Caleb Plant have agreed to terms for a November pay-per-view fight, sources tell ESPN, that will be presented by PBC along with Canelo Promotions.
The deal ends weeks of stop-and-start negotiations between ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer and PBC founder Al Haymon. Alvarez, who holds three 168-pound titles, and Plant, who owns the other belt, will battle to be crowned undisputed super middleweight champion.
The fight was originally being eyed for Sept. 18 in Las Vegas, but at the 11th hour, the deal fell apart. Alvarez then entered talks for a light heavyweight title challenge of Dmitry Bivol, but before a deal could be completed, the Mexican great decided to delay his return until November so he could focus on a full training camp in San Diego.
The 31-year-old also wanted to focus on the man he wanted all along: Plant. More so than the man, really, is what Canelo wants to be: undisputed.
After Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) shattered Billy Joe Saunders’ orbital bone in May, a ninth-round TKO to collect a third 168-pound title, he delivered a message to Plant: “I’m coming, my friend.”
Plant (21-0, 12 KOs), ESPN’s No. 3 boxer at 168 pounds, is the first Haymon champon to earn a crack at Alvarez, but he might not be the last. The deal between Canelo and PBC is for one fight, per sources, but there’s reason to believe Alvarez will continue to face off against boxers from the stable. David Benavidez, ESPN’s No. 2 super middleweight, is aligned with PBC, as is Jermall Charlo, the middleweight champion who plans to jump to 168 at some point.
Alvarez’s last three fights were streamed on DAZN and promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. Although Hearn won’t be involved with the promotion of the event, sources said, he’s expected to work on behalf of Canelo Promotions.
A 29-year-old Nashville native, Plant thought he had a deal with Alvarez last month after agreeing to a purse worth upward of $10 million. When the pact collapsed, Plant told ESPN: “His bark is bigger than his bite.”
Plant said Alvarez was set to earn more than $40 million (a career high) along with Mexican TV revenue and his Hennessy sponsorship. The sticking point, Plant said at the time, was an insistence from the Canelo side on a very particular contingency plan.
“If I get injured or sick then he gets a late replacement for the same amount of guaranteed money, but if he gets sick or injured, then we gotta wait for him,” he said.
In the event a suitable replacement couldn’t be mutually agreed upon for Sept. 18, sources said, the event would be canceled rather than rescheduled.
This time around, the differences were ironed out.
Alvarez will have his chance to be called undisputed. So, too, will Plant, who will be seeking something far more: to prove he’s for real in his first legitimate challenge, but also the best in the world.