By: Sean Crose
WBC super middleweight champion Caleb Plant defended his title Saturday night in Las Vegas against Armando Resendiz. The scheduled 12 rounder was the main event of a PBC card that was broadcast live on Amazon Prime. A confident Plant dominated the first courtesy of the champion’s long jab. Resendiz was a bit more aggressive in the second, but it was still still Plant’s potent jab that told the tale of the round. Yet Resendiz was able to land hard, effective shots in the third. Resendiz continued to pressure his man in the fourth.
Things remained close in the fifth. Resendiz clearly didn’t see himself as a mere tuneup for Plant. He had come to win. By the end of the sixth, Plant was clearly hurt. Indeed, it looked like her might go down. Although Plant was never hurt during the seventh, Resendiz was still able to land. What’s more, Plant’s face indicated that he might be becoming the worse for wear. Things got so bad for Plant in the eighth, that it looked like the fight might be ending before the final bell. With that being said, the referee indicated Resendiz might lose a point if he didn’t stop using his head illegally.
Plant fared better in the ninth, but Resendiz was still able to find his target. The tenth made it clear that Plant simply couldn’t hold his opponent off anymore. “We need these two rounds,” Plant’s trainer said in between rounds. Plant tried to work the body effectively in the eleventh, but his shots weren’t having a visible impact on the driven challenger. “We need this round, kid,” Plant’s trainer emphasized in between rounds. It was all or nothing for Plant as the bell rang to start the twelfth and final chapter. Although he fought gamely in the last three minutes of the fight, Plant just didn’t seem strong enough to deal with Resendiz.
The judges ruled for Resendiz, via unanimous decision, giving the Mexican warrior the WBC title and an upset of the year win. “I believed in myself,” Resendiz said afterward. “My corner believed in me.” As for the future, Resendiz made it clear he’s still hungry. “I’m ready to fight anyone,” he said.
