Connecting the dots on how Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant gets made

Caleb Plant has a mandatory title defense against Caleb Truax, but a recent media call showed that all roads lead to a unification bout with Canelo Alvarez. 

Caleb Plant is the undefeated IBF super middleweight champion of the world, and he could be in store for a massive 2021.

Plant (20-0, 12 KOs) has his first action of 2021 on Saturday, Jan. 30, in a mandatory title defense against veteran and former champion Caleb Truax. The oddsmakers have Truax as a massive betting underdog. According to Oddsshark.com, at least three betting brokerages have 27-1 odds against Truax.

Those odds seem fair considering that Truax (31-4-2, 19 KOs), at age 37, is nine years older than Plant and has a recent history of injuries. He didn’t look great in his last bout against David Basajjamivule last January, but he knows that this is his last shot at regaining a world title.

“At my age, at 37, there is no telling when I’ll be able to get a world title fight again,” Truax told FanSided during a recent media call. “So I’ve been approaching it as if this is my last shot. I’ve been very focused in camp and just determined to leave it all in the ring and get my belt back.”

To Plant’s credit, he insists that he’s not paying attention to the odds and respects Truax’s body of work.

“Me against Jose Uzcategui, they had me the underdog, and they had it wrong,” said Plant. “So I don’t pay attention to numbers, betting odds—that’s not how I became a world champion and how I’m going to stay world champion. My job is to go in there fully focused on the task at hand.”

Plant is focused on Truax, but he knows that a megafight against WBA and WBC super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is on the horizon.

“I’m not looking past him [Truax], but I am looking through him,” said Plant. “I’m looking to end this fight early. I don’t see it going 12 rounds, so whether they throw in the white towel, I throw in the white towel for him, or the ref steps in to do his job, I’m looking for a stoppage.”

The phrase “looking through him” is key and implies that Plant is determined to land a unification bout with Alvarez in 2021.

Caleb Plant breaks in 2021 against Caleb Truax, but a unification bout against Canelo Alvarez is the ultimate prize

When Alvarez was looking for a December opponent after settling his legal disputes with Golden Boy and DAZN, Plant was considered. Ultimately, Alvarez went with Callum Smith instead, but it’s easy to see how Alvarez and Plant could fight later in the year for undisputed status.

Alvarez recently signed a two-fight co-promotional deal with Matchroom in association with DAZN. Alvarez will make a mandatory title defense against Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27. Assuming he wins against Yildirim, it’s likely that he fights WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders in a unification bout during Cinco de Mayo weekend on May 8.

If Alvarez defeats Saunders, he will have three of the four major division titles, with Plant holding the IBF belt. It’s simple to see that Alvarez and Plant’s undisputed showdown would be the logical next step. Both have said that they’re chasing undisputed standing.

“I know where I’m at in my career and how much farther I want to go, so it’s no time for me to let my foot off the gas,” said Plant. “I need to keep my foot on their necks, and I need to keep pushing because, as I’ve said, I’m looking to become the first undisputed world super middleweight champion of all time, and you can’t do that with just one world title.”

During the Plant vs. Truax media call, promoter Tom Brown told FanSided, “He’s [Plant] doing back to back mandatories. The slates going to be clean there. He’s not going to be worried about making exceptions or anything. This is really a great move on Caleb Plant to do an early mandatory.”

Brown also believes that Alvarez is also in a good position for a unification down the line.

“I think they are. Everything you read today with Canelo,” said Brown. “The only thing Caleb Plant has on his mind is Caleb Truax.”

Alvarez vs. Plant for undisputed control of the super middleweight division would probably be the most attractive and profitable boxing bout in 2021 outside of a probable Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight unification contest.

Keep your fingers crossed that no upsets disturb an ideal future Alvarez vs. Plant fight. Both seem prepared to cross paths later in 2021.

Watch Caleb Plant defend his IBF super middleweight title against Caleb Truax on Saturday, Jan. 30, on FOX at 8 p.m. ET.