Caleb Plant says he will “shake up” the rankings after seeing #4 rankings with the Ring, positioned below the newcomers #3 Osleys Iglesias, #2 Diego Pacheco, and #1 Christian Mbilli.
If Plant wants to “shake up” the ratings, he should take on the 27-year-old Cuban Iglesias next and show that he can beat a talented younger fighter with power. It’s doubtful that Plant will take that fight because Iglesias is too dangerous and would likely knock him out much faster than Canelo Alvarez did four years ago in 2021.
“Shake Up” or Smoke and Mirrors?
The former IBF super middleweight champion Plant (23-2, 14 KOs) isn’t saying who he plans on defeating to get moved up to the #1 rankings with The Ring, but it’s going to have to be someone A LOT better than the two names he frequently chirps about wanting to fight:
– Jermall Charlo
– Edgar Berlanga
Those are not top 10 level fighters that would show a rankings committee that Caleb Plant rates being positioned at #1 or #2 at super middleweight. Those would be business-level fights rather than ones showing that Plant is the top dog at 168. Jermall is nearing 35, has only fought once since 2021, and looks washed.
Berlanga is just a guy with a manufactured resume who is nowhere near top-tier. He’s a creation more than a true fighter. It’s pathetic that Plant is targeting him instead of one of the true talents ranked above him; it gives one a glimpse into what he’s all about. He’s trying to cut corners to take a backdoor route to the top.
King Canelo Alvarez
1. Christian Mbilli
2. Diego Pacheco
3. Osleys Iglesias
4. Caleb Plant
Plant would need to defeat Iglesias (13-0, 12 KOs), Pacheco, or Mbilli to take the top spot in The Ring rankings. Interestingly, Plant isn’t talking about wanting to fight any of those fighters. Instead, he appears to be taking the backdoor route, beating one or two easy marks, then likely hoping he’s vaulted to the top of the Ring Rankings.
In the Tennesse native Caleb’s last fight against fringe contender Trevor McCumby on September 14th, he was dropped hard in the fourth and hurt a couple of times by the little-known fighter. Plant rallied to stop McCumby, but it was not the performance that suggests that he needed to be viewed as the top of the tree at 168. Plant looked very vulnerable and older than his chronological age.
Questionable Record
Plant’s best career win came six years ago when he defeated IBF 168-lb champion Jose Uzcategui by a 12-round unanimous decision on January 13, 2019. That was a very hard fight for Plant against a fighter who had done nothing special in his career and has done nothing since.
Caleb’s best wins since his victory over Uzcategui have come against this bunch: Caleb Truax [37 years old], Anthony Dirrell [39], and McCumby. The truth is, Plant’s resume is almost as bad as Edgar Berlanga’s, showing that he’s more of a fake fighter than one of the talented guys rated about him in the Ring rankings. He doesn’t belong in the top 5 of the Ring’s rankings based on his resume, does he? It’s not quite good enough.
Of course, if he wants to change things up, he can always take on the young killer, Osleys Iglesias, if he’s ambitious and brave enough to fight him.
The King of the division is Canelo Alvarez, but he hasn’t fought anyone risky in many years and is more of a figurehead than a true monarch. He’s holding his position on what he did in the distant past rather than quality wins in the last seven years.
Ima shake these rankings mf up soon enough. https://t.co/U4xKm5lVlX
— CalebPlant (@SweetHandsPlant) February 10, 2025
Last Updated on 02/10/2025
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