Legit Bad Blood In Play At Caleb Plant-David Benavidez Presser

The Caleb Pant-David Benavidez presser to hype the March 25 super middleweight clash went down on Thursday afternoon.

After some solid yapping, the main eventers were asked to come out front, to pose for photogs. They complied, but promoter Tom Brown stood between them, and had beefy backup right there, to prevent any premature rough stuff. That move wasn’t for show, you got the feeling. These are two proud battlers who believe they are going to get their hand raised on March 25, and the heat between them is real, I think. No, this one doesn’t have the aura of a match between boxer-businessmen, it feels like a throwback sort of rumble.

Brian Custer presided over the Caleb Plant-David Benavidez event, in LA, and told watchers that no hyperbole is needed to hype up this super middleweight clash.

Brian Custer re-proved he’s the master of this dynamic, he summed up the import of the clash and furnished appropriate queries while helping maintain decorum

The intensity of emotion in play, it can propel fighters to collide and summon amazing drama. “This is the very best fight that can be made, right now, at 168 pounds,” said Custer, referring to the fracas to unfold at the MGM in Vegas. Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime, TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing are putting the show together, for the record.

Caleb Plant, with a 22-1 record (13 KOs), went to the mic. The Tennessee native-Las Vegas resident thanked the usual suspects, and said it’s good that boxing needs big fights, so he’s happy to be part of that trend. He could have taken a gimme after fighting Canelo, he said, but he wants stern challenges. At this point, Team Benavidez spoke up and dissed Plant. Caleb asked for the floor, calmly, and didn’t let himself get distracted after Team Benavidez declared that Plant was forced into this clash.

Plant said that in fact his team had asked Team Benavidez for the battle, but Team Benavidez said it needed more time to marinate. Plant took it up a notch by saying that Benavidez has messed up fights by testing positive for cocaine. Benavidez took umbrage at that, and stood up, but sat down and chilled. “Shut the fuck up,” said Plant, and Benavidez went at Plant, dropping off bombs and calling him a “pussy.”

Plant took issue with Benavidez Sr talking such trash, “it’s easy for you to toss those words around, cause you never had to do it.”

Jose Benavidez Sr looked to get under the skin of Caleb Plant at the Feb. 2 Caleb Pant-David Benavidez presser.

“March 25th, I’ma be there, be in shape, be on weight, I ain’t gonna be on cocaine, and I’m gonna whup his ass,” Plant said, in summation.

Benavidez prowled like a lion, and then went to the mic. The 26-0 (23 KOs) hitter aka “The Mexican Monster” spoke off a script, “and trust me, I’ma beat the living shit out of you.” He looked down at Plant, and said a win over Dirrell is no big deal.

“March 25, mark my fuckin words, I’ma put this emeffer in the hospital.”

Custer threw some questions at the principals. He asked Benavidez how this fight actually got made. “We both needed a step up in class…they made the winner the mandatory for Canelo,” so it made sense all round.

When and how did the bad blood start? Plant said at the Caleb Plant-David Benavidez presser it started they agreed to disagree who is the best at 168. It blew up, he said, when Senior would reference Plant’s late daughter. “Once you start bringing peoples’ kids, or wives into it,” that is over the line, Plant stated. Senior said he was referencing a story, he didn’t traffic in fiction.

Benavidez said during the Caleb Plant-David Benavidez presser he truly has power, not like Plant, who has a KO over an aged Andre Dirrell.

Benavidez broke in and said he’s been on the floor before, and will be again. “You ain’t no wolf,” Benavidez said. Plant is good at zigging and zagging, he said no, Benavidez is a wolf, sheep don’t get invited up to the dais.

Plant was asked about asking for a 22 foot ring, and while Benavidez peppered him with insults, he finished. Nope, he wasn’t trying to ask for things to get out of the tussle, he told viewers on YouTube.

A win over Plant will get him to where he pictured himself, to be a PPV star, Benavidez said. This is a grudge match, and “I wanna thank Caleb Plant for bringing around the animal in me…We’re definitely gonna win and get the knockout.”

Plant says this fight is a good deal for the sport, because it’s a legacy fight for him, and also, it’s good to show other fighters that it’s cool to take riskier fights.

If you’re scoring at home, maybe Plant got the win at the presser, for maintaining his cool

Plant finished the Caleb Plant-David Benavidez presser by saying he doesn’t think Benavidez is bad, in fact he thinks he’s solid…but he foresees a good fight and him having his hand raised. “I guarantee on March 25th I’m gonna knock Caleb Plant out before round six,” Benavidez said in closing.

Before the main eventers spoke, Tom Brown of TGB noted that it’s popular to say that the biggest fights don’t get made. Not true, PBC and Showtime are furnishing what “will be a candidate for fight of the year, if not fight of the year.”

Stephen Espinoza, the Showtime boxing boss, went to the mic at the Caleb Plant-David Benavidez presser, and gained points by admitting that one can often determine the worth of a match by assessing the amount of hype summoned to tout the presentation. Basically, the less yapping about the majesty to come indicates the true worth of a matchup, he stated.

March 10, there will be an All-Access to whet appetites, Espinoza noted. He talked up Plant’s last outing, a KO of the year type shopping against Andre Dirrell. “It seems like people wanna pay more attention to the fights that don’t get made” he continued, instead of focusing on the good stuff at hand. Boxing got it right this time, he declared.

Stephen Breadman Edwards lived up to his nickname; he at the Caleb Plant-David Benavidez presser noted that these big clashes need to get made, because that’s the way big business happens, that’s the way to get everyone making proper money.

Breadman stayed true to form, noting that the sport and the fighters benefit financially when the best agree to fight the best, as in the case of Plant v Benavidez

Benavidez’ dad Jose Sr at the mic promised that he’s brought the notorious Memo Heredia to the team. (Click here to see what I am referring to, and also click here.) “These guys are gonna have a good, an exciting fight, May 25th (sic), don’t miss it, buy your pay per views, because guys, we’re gonna fuck this guy up, we’re gonna send him to the hospital,” Senior said. Custer lightened it up a bit by saying, “OK,” and then correcting pop, with the correct month, March.

All in all, the session gave a big hint of what’s to come March 25: violence.