Winner by unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112, 117-111), Benavidez, 26, remains undefeated in 27 fights including 23 before the limit, while his opponent recorded the second defeat of his career in 22 fights.
Under the eyes of Floyd Mayweather, his friend and boxing legend, Benavidez started the fight timidly, biding his time by leaving the initiative to his opponent without putting himself in danger.
With a superior reach, the native of Phoenix took control of hostilities at the end of the third of the fight, dealing blows in abundance to a completely overwhelmed Caleb Plant. On a powerful right the latter was seriously shaken in the seventh round.
In the next, Benavidez increased the pressure and once more inflicted a hail of blows on his opponent who ended this recovery with a bloody face, forcing the doctor to intervene to decide whether or not to continue the fight.
The last third of the fight was a slow agony for Plant, 30, reputed to be a good technician, but unable to resist Benavidez’s fury except by incessant clashes which earned him the reprimands of the referee.
As soon as his success was confirmed, the youngest of the Benavidez challenged the Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, commonly perceived as the master of the super middleweight of which he holds four belts (WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF).
In fact with this victory, Benavidez as interim champion becomes the official challenger of the Mexican pugilist. The interim title is usually awarded to a boxer, when the champion finds himself unable to defend his title for various reasons. It is then up to the federations concerned to organize a fight for the supreme title between the two boxers, when the conditions are met.
The winner of the Benavidez-Canelo clash will then be considered the undisputed king of the category.
