Tired With Canelo, It’s Curtains, Anthony Dirrell Predicts Alvarez Vs. Plant

Tired With Canelo, It’s Curtains, Anthony Dirrell Predicts Alvarez Vs. Plant

Tired With Canelo, It’s Curtains,’ Anthony Dirrell Predicts Alvarez Vs. Plant

Tired With Canelo, It’s Curtains, Anthony Dirrell Predicts Alvarez Vs. Plant

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Anthony Dirrell isn’t giving Caleb Plant much of any chance of beating Canelo Alvarez on November 6th in their undisputed 168-lb championship fight.

Dirrell says IBF super middleweight champion Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) showed fatigue problems in his last fight against Caleb Truax, and he can ill afford to get tired against Canelo Alvarez.

Plant’s lack of power is also an issue that will potentially get in the way of him beating Canelo. Dirrell feels that to have a chance of beating Canelo, you have to gain his respect, and he doesn’t think Plant can do that.

Canelo proved that he could compete at 175 in 2019 when he beat the hard-punching Sergey Kovalev by an 11th round knockout. That fight showed that Canelo is capable of taking shots from huge punchers.

With that said, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Erislandy Lara, and Austin Trout aren’t big punchers, and they gave Canelo massive problems. Mayweather beat Canelo, and many boxing fans believe Lara and Trout were robbed.

“It’s going to be a tough fight because Canelo has problems with boxers, but we haven’t seen Caleb in fights like that, especially with the guy Canelo is,” said Anthony Dirrell to Fighthype. “We’ll see.

“My pick is Canelo, but we’ll see. You got to put something on him [Canelo] and hurt him. I don’t think Caleb has got it, honestly. Can he punch? Maybe.

“Everybody can punch with 10-ounce gloves, but it’s not significant enough to stop Canelo from coming forward and taking your head off. I mean, he’s boxed 175-pounders,” said Dirrell about Canelo.

“Caleb is a boxer, and we know that. Can he hit? Not that we’ve seen. I think so,” Dirrell said when asked if the Canelo vs. Plant fight will be competitive.

“I think the boxing and the slick movement is, but only time will tell. He [Plant] got tired in his last fight [against Caleb Truax] and got touched a little bit. If you get tired, it’s curtains. It’s lights out,” said Dirrell.

“Understandable, but lately, he hasn’t been getting tired,” said Dirrell when told that Canelo gets tired too. “He’s been at his A-game right as of now. It all depends on what Caleb brings to the table.”

Plant, 28, didn’t get tired in his last fight against 38-year-old Caleb Truax.

It was Plant’s fight against Jose Uzcategui in 2019 in which he gassed out in the championship rounds and took some punishment. But the 6’2″ Uzcategui is a big guy, a lot bigger than the 5’8″ Canelo.

It’s debatable whether Canelo can get to Plant the same way that Uzcategui did because he doesn’t have the size, long legs, or foot speed.

“I think he beats Canelo,” said Dirrell when asked about his thoughts on David Benavidez facing Alvarez. “I just do. He’s long, and that’s why he won’t fight Benavidez.

“I think he’s long enough to keep Canelo off. Canelo is what? He’s about 5’6″, 5’7” at least. He’s a smaller guy.

“I think Benavidez keeps him out with his long punches. If he gets inside, I don’t think Canelo can really do nothing with a long lengthy guy like Benavidez,” said Dirrell.

The former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) would be a tough fight for Canelo. It’s going to be an even tougher one for Canelo the longer he delays making it.

Benavidez is only 24 and Canelo 31. If Canelo waits three or four years, he’s going to be in his mid-30s, taking on a guy that is only 28 and a lot younger and bigger.

Dirrell is probably right that Canelo will never fight Benavidez. Canelo doesn’t mention Benavidez’s name, and that’s a strong indication that he doesn’t want to face him.