Despite suffering a shocking defeat, former world champion Caleb Plant now finds himself with two potential options for his next boxing match.
The 32-year-old was on the wrong side of a split decision early this morning in a bout that is already being hailed as a major upset of the year.
This marks his third professional loss, coming against Armando Resendiz. Resendiz was a significant underdog heading into the fight and was perhaps best known previously for stopping Jarrett Hurd in 2023.
This time around, however, the Mexican fighter`s upset victory seems to carry extra significance, particularly because of the ramifications it will undoubtedly have on the boxing landscape.
Before their clash at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, it was widely known that Plant (23-3, 14 KOs) had been aiming for a fight against fellow former world champion Jermall Charlo.
Interestingly, Charlo secured a relatively easy sixth-round stoppage win against Thomas LaManna on the very same fight card.
For Plant, however, the relentless and high-pressure style of Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs) ultimately proved too much. Fatigue soon began to affect the 32-year-old`s normally fluid movement.
The result was a split decision: two judges scored the fight 116-112 in favor of Resendiz, while one judge had a peculiar score of 115-113 for Plant. This outcome saw Resendiz claim the vacant WBA interim title.
Immediately following the defeat, Plant claimed that his right hand had been causing him issues during the fight. At the post-fight press conference, he also insisted that he believed he should have won.
`Sweethands`, as Plant is known, told media members that his potential next step could be a direct fight with Charlo (34-0, 23 KOs) or, more likely, an immediate rematch with Resendiz.
“I’d go right to the Charlo fight, but we got a rematch clause, so I’m more than willing to run it right back,” he stated.
