Caleb Plant breezed through Caleb Truax for a UD win to retain IBF title

IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant was on cruise control as he easily outboxed Caleb Truax to retain his title. Canelo next?

The IBF super middleweight title bout humorously referred to as the Caleb Bowl between champion Caleb Plant and challenger Caleb Truax proved to be as one-sided as predicted by most.

Plant (21-0, 12KOs) came into the fight as the undefeated champion and easily kept his perfect record intact. It was his second mandatory title defense in a row, which means he can fight whoever he pleases next, with WBA and WBC titleholder Canelo Alvarez as the main target.

Two weeks before the fight, both Plant and Truax were dismissive of the stacked odds against Truax during a media call. Betting brokerages had Truax anywhere from a 7-1 to a 27-1 underdog. They knew what they were talking about.

Truax (31-5-2, 19 KOs) once held Plant’s title. He’s used to playing the role of underdog. In 2017 he defeated James DeGale by majority decision to become the champion, but he lost the belt four months later.

Since losing the title, Truax underwent a string of bad luck. His 2019 bout against Peter Quillin ended early by a no decision after a clash of heads caused a bad cut on Truax that ended the fight without a winner. He tore his Achilles tendon when getting ready for the rematch and looked unspectacular in a 2020 fight against a mediocre opponent.

With Caleb Plant making easy work of Caleb Truax, the focus shifts to a unification bout with Canelo Alvarez

At 37 years old, Truax hoped a surprise win over Plant would offer him a second act. Instead, it looks like he’s at the end of his boxing career.

Plant was too fast, too quick, too accurate, and too young. The 28-year-old Plant made Truax look old. His reflexes pumped jabs in Truax’s face all night and busted up Truax’s nose early in the fight.

Plant did an excellent job of mixing in punches to the body and head. Other than his jab, Plant’s favorite punch was a left hook, which he repeatedly landed to Truax’s head. He hurt Truax with it in round 4 but was patient and continued to box instead of headhunting.

Truax made it to the final bell in round 12 and finished the fight on his feet, a small victory. He was never in the fight and was badly outscored in the punch count. According to FOX, Plant landed 179 punches to Truax’s 47. All three judges scored Plant the winner with scores of 120-108, a shutout. During the post-fight interview, Plant stated that he injured his left hand, but it didn’t appear to slow him down.

With his mandatory contests out of the way, Plant wants a chance to add to his IBF belt. Plant’s name was in the mix for Alvarez’s December bout, but Callum Smith was selected instead. Alvarez fights Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27 and will probably fight WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders in May.

If all that occurs, Alvarez will have all the super middleweight titles except for the Plant’s IBF belt. That makes for a perfect fall matchup between Alvarez and Plant. Alvarez has a two-fight deal in partnership with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN. He could then crossover to FOX for a full unification fight with Plant.

Does Plant want to fight before a hypothetical Alvarez fall match? That would be risky and not worth the money missed if he lost. He has a rivalry with former WBC champion David Benavidez, but Alvarez is the draw the brings the riches. That’s the fight that makes sense and what people want to see the most.