Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo are set to fight on the same card this Saturday at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, headlining a Prime Video event with separate bouts.
Plant (23-2, 14 KOs) is scheduled to defend his WBA super middleweight interim title in the main event against Armando Resendiz (15-2, 11 KOs). Meanwhile, Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) will make his return after an 18-month absence, facing Thomas LaManna (39-5-1, 18 KOs) in the co-main event.
Should both fighters secure victories, a highly anticipated matchup between Charlo and Plant is reportedly being planned for later in the year. A fight between the two is expected to generate significant interest, largely due to their history and past interactions outside the ring.
Plant is a former IBF super middleweight champion whose last fight was a ninth-round stoppage win over Trevor McCumby in September. Charlo, a former world champion at junior middleweight and middleweight, aims to capture a title in a third weight class as he now competes at 168 pounds.
Both fighters have considerable stakes in their upcoming respective contests. Here’s a closer look at the path that led them to this point.
What`s at Stake?
Charlo and Plant find themselves at different phases of their careers, facing questions about their future trajectories.
Charlo, 35, remains undefeated professionally, but concerns linger regarding his inactivity over recent years. His fight against LaManna offers a chance for fans to assess if he retains the form he displayed during his WBC middleweight title reign, when he was considered a pound-for-pound contender.
A win would position him for the major showdown with Plant. Conversely, a loss or a lackluster performance could significantly diminish the prospect of a potential future fight between the two.
“I think the fight with Plant is just as big as a fight with Canelo [Alvarez],” Charlo stated. “Every fight is a big fight but that is a fight that needs to take place … we just have to take care of business first.”
In contrast to Charlo, the 32-year-old Plant has maintained a more active career. He has faced two of boxing`s elite competitors in recent years: Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez. While he suffered defeats in both high-profile bouts, Plant solidified his status as a significant contender, though he is still seeking that defining major victory.
The Charlo-Plant Rivalry
The animosity between Plant and Charlo gained public attention in July 2023 after footage surfaced of an altercation backstage at the weigh-in for Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. in Las Vegas. Plant was seen slapping Charlo, claiming he acted in retaliation after Charlo disrespected his wife and repeatedly pulled his beard.
“A man has a right to defend himself,” Plant explained afterwards on Instagram Live. “A grown man touched another grown man in his face, pulling on his beard really hard. I had the decency to tell you not to do it again … and you immediately grabbed my face even harder after I just asked you not to … you made it real hard on a guy when you do that in front of his wife and his peers.”
This incident fueled speculation about a potential fight where they could settle their differences. The primary obstacle had been their weight classes, but Charlo has since moved up to compete at super middleweight.
Charlo mentioned that he has spoken with Plant since the incident and, while the fight is still a goal, the immediate bad blood has reportedly subsided for the time being.
“What we said to each I’ll keep between me and him, but I respect him as a fighter and a father,” Charlo said. “But we want to fight each other.”
Plant stopped short of saying the rivalry is fully resolved but emphasized that any lingering hard feelings are secondary to his focus on defeating Resendiz this Saturday.
“First things first and that’s handling business on May 31,” Plant stated at a recent workout. “If Charlo can handle his business, or whatever happens in the co-main event, I’m looking for that winner. … If he’s able to handle business, me and Charlo can run it.”
Charlo`s Long Layoff
After compiling a 30-0 record from 2008 to 2019 and winning world titles in two divisions, Charlo`s career momentum slowed significantly due to a combination of injuries and legal issues.
In August 2021, Charlo was arrested on felony robbery charges related to an incident in San Antonio, though he was later cleared. He faced another arrest in February 2022 for alleged assault on a family member from a 2021 incident; this case was also dismissed. More recently, in May 2024, he was cited following a road accident for charges including driving under the influence and fleeing the scene.
Charlo hopes his fight this weekend will signal an end to this period of inactivity.
“I want to be busier,” Charlo said. “I want to fight three times this year. Maybe fight again in August or September and one more time in December.”
His last bout was a unanimous decision win in November 2023 against Jose Benavidez Jr. Before that, he hadn`t fought since June 2021 when he defended his WBC middleweight title against Juan Macias Montiel. Rumored fights against opponents like Jaime Munguia, Maciej Sulecki, Carlos Adames, and Canelo Alvarez never materialized, with the Canelo fight ultimately going to his brother, Jermell, in September 2023.
“It feels good to be back,” Charlo commented. “I’m surprised everybody thinks that I’m about to be a different fighter now. Even though I’ve been away, I’ve been working in the gym. I don’t understand it, but it makes me feel like the underdog heading into this fight.”
Charlo Returns to His Roots
For this upcoming fight, Jermall and his brother Jermell have reunited with their first trainer, Hylon “Big Ced” Williams Sr. Williams initially trained them as children, guiding them through their amateur careers and early professional development.
“I needed to get back to my roots,” Charlo explained, having previously worked for years with renowned trainer Ronnie Shields. “I needed someone who knew how to push me and bring that energy out of me. I needed someone who knew me.”
Williams` connection with the Charlo family predates the twins; he met their father, Kevin, in the 1980s at Job Corps and trained him in boxing. Years later, seeking productive activities for his sons to keep them out of trouble, Kevin asked Williams to train Jermall and Jermell.
The brothers achieved a combined amateur record of 121-14 before turning professional. Williams eventually transitioned their training to Shields early in their pro careers, remaining in the corner but becoming less central as the twins rose in prominence.
Williams stayed in contact with the twins` father. During Jermall`s recent period of inactivity, Williams reached out. These conversations, initially offering encouragement, led to Williams returning to their corner, as Jermall felt that reconnecting with his origins would help get his career back on track.
“[Training camp] was like a family reunion,” Williams told ESPN about working with both Jermall and Jermell again. “For this fight, I think you will see a rejuvenated version of Jermall Charlo.”
Plant`s Motivation
Despite being an accomplished and financially successful fighter, Plant remains motivated by the fact that he has fallen short in the biggest fights of his career against Canelo and Benavidez.
“I have a lot on the line,” Plant stated at the final news conference. “[Resendiz] may have nothing to lose, but I have everything to lose.”
For Plant, proving himself among the world`s best fighters is a clear priority. A loss to the less-renowned Resendiz would severely derail these aspirations.
“A lot of athletes care more about the money and the fame and obviously money is important, right? But that’s not what makes me tick,” Plant said at Thursday’s news conference. “I’m a competitor and I’m a winner. I’ve been a winner my whole life and regardless of whatever money I’ve made or accomplishments I’ve done, that’s not what wakes me up in the morning. It’s to continue to add to my legacy and see how much I can run it up until my time expires and it’s time to ride off into the sunset with my family. And that’s not anytime soon.”
Plant currently holds a 2-2 record after starting his professional career with 21 consecutive wins. While some may feel he has already exceeded expectations, he believes he is still far from reaching his full potential and understands the necessity of performing successfully on Saturday.
“What I crave is to be a winner and a champion,” Plant declared at a media workout earlier this month. “I want to cement my legacy and show my children firsthand what it looks like to work hard at something. Have I fallen short a couple of times? Yeah, but I did it with integrity and the way a warrior would do it. If you fall short, you dust yourself off and you keep going.”