Caleb Plant’s comeback campaign from his second career loss will come against Trevor McCumby as an undercard attraction for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s fight against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) is used to the big stage, having fought and lost to Alvarez and David Benavidez on pay-per-view cards in Las Vegas, while separately headlining several shows on FOX national TV and also being significantly featured on a Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman undercard.
On the other hand, McCumby (28-0, 21 KOs), has not enjoyed much mainstream fanfare since making his pro debut in 2010. Most recently, in January, however, the 31-year-old McCumby was rewarded with a co-main event slot on a ProBox TV card, and he made the most of the opportunity by beating Christopher Pearson via unanimous decision.
The WBA is the only sanctioning body that has McCumby (No. 8) ranked in its top 15.
“This is his moment, but it’s his first and last moment,” Plant told BoxingScene. “I’m excited to face him because he’s an undefeated fighter, and all fighters who are in front of you should be taken seriously. This is his big chance, and he has a lot riding on it. It would be a shame for me to let the opportunity slip.
“I’ve seen some tape on him. He’s a spunky guy. It’s his first fight stepping up to the big stage.
“He seemed a little nervous [during our faceoff]. There was a stuttering-type vibe in his voice. It will be interesting to see what kind of energy he brings to the fight.”
The always-confident Plant is predicting that he’ll make minced meat of McCumby.
McCumby, meanwhile, is promising to earn his rival’s respect.
“It’s not about getting in some rounds or knocking him out early,” said Plant. “I’m going to do my best to stick to the game plan. But I don’t see this fight going the distance.
“The super middleweight division is still hot. There are a lot of names being floated around. I feel like I’m in a good spot.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine, and more. He’s been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
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