Caleb Plant and Rolando Romero added to Canelo-Berlanga September 14 bill

The super middleweight clash between Caleb Plant and Trevor McCumby has been added to the September 14 bill between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez bout with Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas.

 

Also on the T-Mobile bill is the return of Rolando “Rolly” Romero, boxing for the first time since his one-sided March loss to Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, who is up against Manuel Jaimes in a 10-rounder that will open the pay-per-view.

 

The co-main event has already been announced, and features WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara against veteran Philadelphia Danny García.

 

“Saturday, September 14 is a stacked card with a litany of the best fighters in the sport and it’s become even more jam-packed with action by adding in the hungry former world champions Caleb Plant and ‘Rolly’ Romero in separate high-stakes battles,” said Tom Brown, president of TGB Promotions. “Plant is must-see every time he steps into the ring and will look to re-establish his dominance at 168-pounds against the rising undefeated contender Trevor McCumby, while Romero hopes to use his power-punching style to turn away Manuel Jaimes and put himself on track for another world title.”

 

Thirty-two-year-old Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) steps back into the ring for the first time since his defeat to David Benavidez, against McCumby.

 

The 32-year-old Plant, who was born in Nashville, TN and now lives in Las Vegas, won the IBF title in a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Jose Uzcategui in 2019. Plant dropped Uzcategui twice and cruised to victory for the championship. He made three successful title defenses, defeating Mike Lee, Vincent Feigenbutz, and Caleb Truax. He lost the title in an undisputed championship match against headliner Canelo Alvarez in November 2021.

 

“It feels good to be back. I’ve had some time away from the ring but I’ve used it wisely,” said Plant. “I’ve been in the gym since last June. I’ve sparred over 220 rounds in the past year and leading up to this fight, so I’m feeling sharper than ever. I’ve been smoothing the edges of my game and this is the best I’ve ever looked and the most complete my game has been and I think that speaks volumes to what I have left in me to prove. I guarantee that on September 14 you guys will see the best Caleb Plant yet. All I can say is, he’s going to get his ass whooped.”

 

Originally from Illinois and now fighting out of Glendale, Arizona, McCumby (28-0, 21 KOs) has returned in 2023 following an 18-month suspension after testing positive for banned substances.

 

The 31-year-old first turned pro in 2010 off a stellar amateur career that saw him amass a 138-11 record, collecting numerous national titles. After campaigning at light heavyweight for the first section of his career, McCumby returned in May 2023 as a super middleweight and scored knockouts of Vicente Martin Rodriguez and Rodolfo Ezequiel Martinez. Most recently, McCumby picked apart talented longtime contender Christopher Pearson in their January 2024, earning a wide unanimous decision.

 

“Sports mirrors life and I see Caleb Plant as the symbol for those who are keeping so many down, and now it’s my job to fight back,” said McCumby. “No matter what resources you have to use against me, I won’t be kept down. I’m inspired by everyone who fights back, and that’s the mentality I’m bringing into this matchup on September 14.”

 

The divisive Romero (15-2, 13 KOs) and the 29-year-old rose to the ranks of world champion in May 2023 stopping Ismael Barroso in round nine to win the title, before defeat to Cruz. The Barroso fight was Romero’s first return to the ring since a May 2022 defeat against three-division champion Gervonta Davis.

 

The 24-year-old Jaimes (16-1-1, 11 KOs) enters this fight on a four-bout winning streak, including unanimous decisions over former world champion Jonathan Romero in July. His current streak has seen him bounce back from defeat to Pedro Bernal Rodriguez in April 2022, which came after a career best triumph in December 2021 as he stopped Moises Flores in round two. Originally from San Jose, Jaimes now fights out of the fighting hotbed of Stockton, California and has fought professionally since 2018.

 

“I’m very excited to be part of this great event on Mexican Independence Weekend. It’s an honor to represent my parents’ homeland of Michoacan, Mexico as well as my fans in the 209 Stockton,’’ said Jaimes. “’Rolly’ will be the third former world champion I have faced, so I feel I’m ready for this stage. This fight will get me closer to my goal of being a world champion.”