LOS ANGELES: Undefeated Caleb Plant retained his International Boxing Federation super middleweight crown with a unanimous 12-round decision over former champion Caleb Truax in an all-American showdown over the weekend.
Plant dominated every round, winning by perfect totals of 120-108 on the scorecards of all three judges in the matchup at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, staged without spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I felt like I put on a great performance,” Plant said. “I didn’t get touched.”
It was the third time Plant defended the title he took from Venezuela’s Jose Uzcategui in January 2019, the 28-year-old improving to 21-0 but disappointed he suffered a hand injury in the fourth or fifth round.
“I kind of hurt my hand early in the fight, a little bit hesitant at times,” said Plant, who had been hoping for a knockout triumph.
Plant hopes for a unification matchup against Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez, who defends the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association titles in February at Miami against Turkey’s Avni Yilidirim.
“That’s my goal,” Plant said. “I want to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion of all time.
“Whoever is in the way, you line them up, I’ll knock them down.”
Truax fell to 31-5 with two drawn, failing to reclaim the crown.
Truax, 37, beat Britain’s James DeGale as a 50-1 underdog by majority decision in 2017 at London to take the IBF title but lost it in a 2018 rematch at Las Vegas.
Plant was more aggressive at the start, following solid jabs with a variety of quick punches, including a two left jabs and a powerful right to the head in the third round.
Increasing the tempo of the fight in the fourth round, Plant bloodied the challenger’s nose and kept pressing the attack to the finish.
