Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant swing wild punches as face off erupts into brawl
Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant will face off for the undisputed super-middleweight world championship in November.
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Caleb Plant was left with a significant gash beneath his eye after his face off with pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez erupted into a wild brawl. Tensions have been building between the pair ever since negotiations to make the fight began earlier this year and it's clear there is already bad blood between both super-middleweight world champions as they prepare to throw down at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas on November 6.
Canelo was the aggressor during the intense staredown, shoving Sweet Hands in the chest forcing him to stagger backwards. All hell was about to break loose.
Plant then stripped towards his Mexican rival before throwing a big left hand that Canelo ducked out the way of.
The four-weight world champion then fired back and appeared to land two quick-fire punches, including a big right hand, before the pair were separated.
There was a heavy security presence on the scene and they rushed to diffuse the situation on stage, although there was still huge hostility between both parties.
Canelo and Caleb Plant just threw down at the LA press conference! @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/x0Vb1hVq1d
— Greg Rosenstein (@grosenstein) September 21, 2021
There was visible damage, a large cut to be precise, beneath Plant's eye, which would confirm Canelo's punches did find the target.
ESPN's Mike Coppinger was at the press conference and he admitted this level of violence was not something he'd seen before at a media event.
He tweeted: "Been to literally hundreds of boring press conferences. Never seen an exchange like that, and especially for a fight like this.
"That’s a big gash under Plant’s right eye, and it’s bleeding profusely. A cut like that in training usually postpones fights."
Coppinger also claims Plant continued the bad blood after the fight by slating Canelo and his stable in light of recent news that Oscar Valdez tested positive for banned substance phentermine last month.
He added: "Caleb Plant just called Canelo and Eddy Reynoso a host of names and then called out the absurdity of Oscar Valdez testing positive for a banned substance but receiving no six-month suspension."
Been to literally hundreds of boring press conferences. Never seen an exchange like that, and especially for a fight like this. That’s a big gash under Plant’s right eye, and it’s bleeding profusely. A cut like that in training usually postpones fights
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) September 21, 2021
Canelo did take offence to some of Plant's remarks during the heated presser.
“Don’t call me a m***** f*****, don’t talk about my mom," Canelo said as he got up out of his chair.
The American then shouted: "You're a drug cheat, you're a b****. Tell me something, Oscar Valdez can pop for something but he won't get suspended for six months.
"You got suspended for six months, you're a cheater."