Caleb ‘Sweet Hands’ Plant: ‘I don’t go in there emotionally’
Caleb ‘Sweet Hands’ Plant goes into some personal things surrounding this fight and career on The Pivot Podcast.
We are in the thick of fight week, and the promotional train has left the tracks while hitting top speeds. One of the first media stops for former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb ‘Sweet Hands’ Plant (22-1), who will be going up against David Benavidez (26-0), was “The Pivot Podcast.” The show debuted in January 2022, and its hosts are NFL stars Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder, who “host a weekly sit-down with A-list stars from the sports world and beyond.” The show has over 668,000 subscribers, and it’s a platform that looks to deliver content that can only be found there.
Caleb Plant opened up and answered the questions the fans wanted to hear.
Plant was asked about the origin of the beef with Benavidez and his father, which involved personal comments (from Jose Benavidez Sr.) about Plant’s tragically deceased daughter Alia.
“Boxing is not a job for me,” said Plant. “Boxing is my life. I’m not trying to let anyone disrupt that or get in the way of that. So it is personal for me…As far as David Benavidez, that started out as us agreeing to disagree about who’s better. Over time I think it’s developed into something more…Once you start bringing up someone’s family, that’s a different level…Some things you don’t come back from, and for me, that’s not reversible.”
While discussing how much of an impact winning the title had for Plant and the emotional rollercoaster he went on, Plane said, “That moment was indescribable, really,” said Plant. “When they announce those words ‘and the new,’ it’s something that any kid who’s ever halfway laced up a pair of boxing gloves dreams of one day…Me keeping that promise to Alia that I was going to be world champion was something that was engraved in me. It didn’t matter who stood across from me that night; there was no one who was beating me.”
DAVID BENAVIDEZ VS. CALEB PLANT WILL STREAM LIVE ON SHOWTIME PPV & PPV.COM ($74.99)
It is officially fight week!! Learn a little more about @SweetHandsPlant before he takes the ring vs @Benavidez300 this Saturday!!#BenavidezPlant | March 25
Live on https://t.co/op5b8eSOjx | 9pET/6pP pic.twitter.com/OdzdKHIM92— PPV.COM (@ppv_com) March 20, 2023
On Saturday night, his opponent is someone that has tried to get under his skin and vice versa. Plant feels he can remain calm and not get into all of the drama that comes with promoting a fight, especially if it’s against someone you don’t like. “I don’t go in there emotionally,” said Plant. “Seeing Alia go through those things definitely motivated me. I knew that I could do anything after seeing what she went through. You can’t go into the ring emotionally, though; it’s a thinking man’s game. I’m a thinking fighter. I have a heavy IQ and a heavy bag of tricks…Over the years, I learned how to channel my emotions and go into the ring calm, cool, and collected.”
Later on during the interview, Plant said, “I know the best is brought out of me when I’m challenged,” said Plant. “That can be emotionally or physically. I’m someone who has to be challenged in life for the best to be brought out of me. Those kinds of things just add fuel to the fire for me to not only win but win in spectacular fashion. I’m not someone who wants to just get in this sport, get money and get out. I really love boxing…I want my name to be written in stone forever. When people talk boxing, I want them to bring my name up.”
My Three Cents
I am really enjoying how this build-up is being handled for all parties involved. We are getting fighters on non-traditional media platforms, an All-Access approaching 2 million views, and we still have the rest of the week. I don’t know about you, but I’m hyped. If you purchase Benavidez vs. Plant, consider PPV.com ($74.99 w/o subscription), and you’ll find me hosting the live watch party on the platform so we can enjoy the fights together. Hope to see you there.
You can follow Abe on Twitter & Instagram @abeg718 and subscribe to “The Boxing Rush Hour Show” podcast on all streaming platforms.
