Just a few weekends ago, boxing fans and promoters were reminded of the risks of scheduling popular fighters in tune-up fights prior to matching them against each other. On Saturday, Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo will look to avoid the pitfalls faced by Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia with the intent to make a big showdown later this year.
On May 2, Garcia was upset by Rolando Romero and Haney won a dreadful fight against Jose Carlos Ramirez. Those fights registered among the lowest punch outputs in CompuBox history and the results deflated all hype for what was a hotly-anticipated rematch. These are the risks Plant and Charlo face, stepping into the ring in the hopes that they can both win and build to the fight fans actually want to see.
The heat for a potential Plant vs. Charlo fight comes mainly from an altercation at the weigh-ins for Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford in 2023. After Plant and Charlo exchanged words, Plant slapped Charlo in the face before the pair were separated by security.
Plant (23-2, 14 KO), a former IBF super middleweight champion and current WBA interim titleholder, faces Jose Armando Resendiz (15-2, 11 KO) in the main event. Plant has only lost to the elite of the elite in his career, suffering a late TKO against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2021 and a decision loss to David Benavidez in 2023. He bounced back from the Benavidez loss in his most recent outing, scoring a 9th round TKO of Trevor McCumby this past September.
“At this point in my career, I’m a complete fighter. Whether its inside, outside or midrange, I have great legs and great feet,” Plant said. Whatever he decides to do, we’ll be right there with him, but levels above. We’re gonna show him there’s levels to this.
“Experience plays a big factor in every fight and that’s something that I’ve had. I’ve faced the best in the sport. I’m the biggest and baddest dude he’s ever fought.’
Plant is a heavy favorite against Resendiz, whose best win came when he stopped a faded version of Jarrett Hurd in 2023. The momentum of the Hurd win did not last long as Resendiz was stopped by Elijah Garcia one fight later.
“This has me so motivated and happy that I can’t even express how excited I am,” Resendiz said this week. “My team has gone above and beyond and I’m feeling like the best version of myself.
“I don’t care what Caleb says. I’m just focused on myself. I’m gonna speak with my fists when that bell rings.”
At the pre-fight press conference, Plant identified the main danger of the fight as being in a situation where he is the only fighter with any real risk coming into the fight.
PBC on Prime boxing: Biggest storylines to watch for as Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo return to the ring
Brian Campbell
“I’m looking to put on a show,” Plant said. “This is a big moment for Armando, but it’s big for me too. I have a lot on the line. He may have nothing to lose, but I’ve got everything to lose. I sacrificed a lot, and you’re gonna see it in the ring.”
Charlo (33-0, 22 KO) is in a similar position. A former IBF junior middleweight and WBC middleweight champion, Charlo’s recent career has been defined by inactivity, with just one fight since 2021. Charlo’s focus has also been on various legal issues over the past few years.
Charlo will look to build some momentum when he faces Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (39-5-1, 18 KO).
LaManna has made a career of lengthy winning streaks over club-level opposition to earn fights with higher-level opponents. In every one of those step-up fights, LaManna has been easily turned away. The most recent of those fights came in 2021, with LaManna stopped in just 80 seconds by Erislandy Lara.
This should be an easy night for Charlo, and he acknowledged that at the press conference.
“If he makes the wrong move, makes a miscalculation, or gets just a little too close, then I’m gonna knock his ass clean out,” Charlo said. “I feel the energy, and the energy is great right now. I’m thankful to my whole team that’s stood by me. I’m ready to showcase my talent and give you all the old Jermall Charlo.”
Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the undercard for Saturday night in Las Vegas before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the co-headlining bouts below.
Plant vs. Resendiz fight card, odds
- Caleb Plant -2500 vs. Jose Armando Resendiz +1100, super middleweights
- Jermall Charlo -1667 vs. Thomas LaManna +800, super middleweights
- Yoenli Hernandez -770 vs. Kyrone Davis +500, middleweights
- Curmel Moton -10000 vs. Renny Mastrapa +1600, lightweights
Where to watch Plant vs. Resendiz
- Date: May 31 | Location: Michelob Ultra Arena — Las Vegas
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Predictions
There is no real doubt to who wins the top two fights on Saturday. If Plant or Charlo were to stumble, it would be among the biggest upsets of the year (Romero was +800 when he upset Garcia). For LaManna to find success, Charlo’s time out of the ring would have had to led to extreme rust combined with a disinterest in actually fighting. But LaManna has been put down by men who don’t hit as hard as Charlo plenty of times in his career.
In the other fight, Plant is just several levels above Resendiz and has proven he is more than capable of handling fighters at the level of “Cornflake.” There doesn’t seem to be a clear path for Resendiz to find victory given he does nothing better than Plant. Picks: Plant via TKO5, Charlo via KO2
