Canelo Álvarez vs. Caleb Plant Press Conference

Jimmy: (11:50)
Okay. We’ll continue with our press conference right now. Proceed as things have calmed down a bit. My pleasure to introduce to you at this time, a very hard working and long time respected man of boxing. He’s the president of TGB promotions, Tom Brown.

Tom Brown: (12:14)
Thank you, Jimmy. Well, I was going to introduce you to a special event today, but it is. So I want to say afternoon and welcome to everyone. This is a very special press conference, and really, I cannot believe that we got this fight together. Now, it took us a couple of runs at it, but here we are today with the undisputed super middleweight championship on November 6th. And it’s a real pleasure to be working once again with our network partner, Showtime, Stephen Espinoza, and his entire team.

Tom Brown: (12:51)
Showtime Boxing has a long history of being involved in the sports biggest and most important events. And it’s an absolute honor to be here working with the pound for pound king, Canelo Alvarez, Eddy Renoso and everybody with Canelo Promotions, and I’m very happy to be back working with Caleb, Caleb Plant, everybody on team Plant. Back in 2014, I promoted Caleb’s pro debut just down the street here, USC. So, it’s very nice for me to see him up here today in this position.

Tom Brown: (13:28)
As Jimmy said, Canelo Alvarez holds three of the 168 pound titles. Caleb Plant owns the other belt. And they’ll battle to be crowned the first, undisputed, super middleweight champion in the four belt era. History will be made on November 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And before I go here, just to lighten it up a little bit, when I said this is a special press conference, it’s also a special day for me. It’s my 36th wedding anniversary. And my wife Sandy’s here today. So Sandy, thanks for putting up with me all these years. And if it wasn’t for my wife and Marian [inaudible 00:14:07], I probably would never be in this sport today, the sport that I love so much. So, thank you, Sand, thank you everyone.

Jimmy: (14:16)
Thank you, Tom. And that applause was for Sandy, because Tom is one of the busiest men in boxing and you’ve done so much to support him. We all know that. Bringing this fight to Showtime is something very, very special, indeed. Extremely special. The man who made it all happen. My pleasure to introduce to you the President of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza: (14:45)
Thank you, Jimmy. 2021 has been a phenomenal year for Showtime Boxing. One of our most prolific years in recent memories, Showtime has delivered 17 live boxing events so far this year, with several more to come. Eight world championship fights, multiple world title unifications and one fight for the undisputed world title. Well actually now let’s make that two fights for undisputed world title fights, as a very good year for Showtime becomes a great year for Showtime.

We are proud to welcome Canelo Alvarez back to Showtime. We also welcome Caleb Plant for his Showtime debut. Now it was almost exactly nine years ago, September 15th, 2012, that Canelo made his debut on Showtime, a thrilling fight versus Josesito Lopez. Nine years is a long time, Canelo at that point was a super welterweight. Ed Reynoso was a promising young up and coming trainer. I had a lot more hair. Now, that was a very young Canelo Alvarez, a very young Eddy Reynoso. And that started an impressive run of fights, in which Canelo demonstrated his willingness, really his desire, his demand to take the toughest fights available. The fights that no one else wanted. Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara, Floyd Mayweather, guys that everyone else avoided.

And together, back in 2013, we set a record, at the time, for the biggest pay view of all time, as we helped launch Canelo as boxing’s newest pay-per-view star. And now nine years later, we are proud to welcome him back for this mega fight. And we’re also proud to welcome Eddy Reynoso back, the 2019 trainer of the year, now recognized as one of the best young trainers in this sport. Canelo now is a four division world champion, he’s unified titles in three different divisions. The consensus number one fighter in this sport, the biggest star in this sport, the biggest draw in this sport, and fighting in what is arguably the most important fight of his career. A fight for history, for legacy, a fight that would put him in a category that no other Mexican boxer, actually no other Latin American boxer has ever achieved, a fight to become an undisputed four belt world champion. Something only six other men in boxing have done.

But this is a fight of champion versus champion. Caleb Plant is also a world champion, an undefeated world champion with three successful world title defenses. A big strong athletic boxer, who has fought most of his career at super middleweight. An undefeated fighter who is full of confidence and believes that this is his time, his opportunity. And I’m confident he’ll tell you that in just a few moments. And so on November 6th, Alvarez versus Plant comes to Showtime pay-per-view, the home of the big fights. The most trusted and longest tenured network in boxing. There is no other network making a more meaningful or more significant commitment to the sport of boxing. We are the home of boxing’s biggest and best fights. With all the changes in the sport, new platforms, new networks coming into the sport, new approaches, there is one constant, Showtime Championship Boxing. The big fights are in Showtime. We’ve been here for 35 years and we’re not going anywhere.

17 live boxing events thus far in 2021 from Showbox to World Championship to pay-per-views, including the two biggest pay-per-view events of the year. And we are prepared to utilize the power of the Viacom CBS corporation to market promote and support this event in the way it deserves. As we look forward to this highly anticipated event, we’d like to thank our partners, Premier Boxing Champions, Canelo Promotions, TGB Promotions, and most of all, these two great fighters who have come together for this historic event. So, mark your calendars now, November 6th, the biggest fight night of the year, a must see event for every boxing fan. We’ll see you then.

Jimmy: (19:26)
Thank you, Stephen. And it has been an amazing year for Showtime and it’s just September now, this fight in November and we have a lot more coming as well. Now it’s time to hear from the men who probably know their fighters better than anyone else in the world, their trainers. We’ll begin with the IBF trainer, champion of the world, the IBF trainer, a long time trainer of Caleb Plant, Justin Gamber, Justin?

Justin Gamber: (19:53)
Thank you. Thanks to everyone for coming out today. Just real quick. I want to thank everyone on our team. Team Sweet Hands. I want to thank Luis De Cubas Jr., Caleb’s…

Team Sweethands. I want to thank Luis DeCubas Jr., Caleb’s manager. Al Haymon, Caleb’s advisor, for believing in us and getting us this fight that we wanted, and giving us the opportunity to make history.

And yeah, spent blood, sweat, and tears literally to get here. It’s been a long journey This fight, it’s not about money. It’s about legacy.

1996 when I was 15 years old, my favorite fighter in the world was the IBF Super Middleweight Champion, Roy Jones Jr. And every boxing fan back then craved unification ballots craved an undisputed champion at 168.

And now it’s 2021 and I trained the IBF Super Middleweight Champion of the world. We’re going to be fighting for all the marbles. Tune in on November 6th. And you will see the first undisputed Super Middleweight Champion in boxing history from Nashville, Tennessee.

Nothing that happened today is going to mess with the outcome of the fight whatsoever, all right? It only gives us more drive, more hunger. Like I said, come November 6th, tune in and you will see Tennessee’s undisputed champion at 168. Thank you guys for coming.

Announcer: (21:37)
Thank you very much, Justin. That’s certainly good news, also. Now we hear from Canelo’s trainer, the renowned longtime trainer and manager for Canelo, Eddy Reynoso.

Eddy Reynoso: (21:45)
Good afternoon. Thanks for being here, all the press. I think it’s going to be a great fight. One where we unify the 168 pounds. Likewise, like for every fight, we’re going to work hard in the gym and we’re going to see a unified. Thank you. And we’re going to see a champion on 168. We’ve always been working very hard in the gym, like we always do for all the fights. We want to thank PBC and Al Haman for having this fight take off on November 6th. Thank you for being here in this sunny weather.

Announcer: (23:02)
Thank you Eddy Reynoso. So now let’s hear from our fighters themselves. First, a man who is aiming not only to retain his title, his undefeated record, but to become the first ever undisputed, super middleweight world champion, and to become the new face of boxing. Here is the undefeated IBF Super Middleweight Champion of the world, Caleb Sweethands Plant.

Caleb Plant: (23:33)
What’s going on, everybody? Appreciate everybody showing up today. I want to thank Al Haymon. Want to thank my manager, Luis DeCubas. My boxing coaches, Justin and my dad, the rest of my team, my wife, Jordan. Want to thank all my supporters and believers back home in Tennessee. Root me on.

I know that you guys have been supporting me for a long time and I appreciate that, but there’s only one thing better than proving people right, and that’s proving people wrong. And I’ve been doing that my whole life. Before going to the Olympics in London as an alternate in 2012, before the Olympic trials, before winning the Golden Glove Nationals, before the WSB, before any Team USA I made, before any national tournament or any regional tournament. As soon as I stepped on the stage, as soon as I came on, they started with it. What I can’t accomplish, what I can accomplish, what I can do, what I can’t do. You see? Because where I’m from, there is no boxing community. There is no other pros that I can look to and be like, “Man, if he can do it, I can do it.” There were no other boxers that I could look at and be like, “He did steps, A, B, and C.”

So this is what I need to do to get it done. I didn’t have any of that. I had this and I had this. I don’t do this to be famous. I don’t do this to get attention. Because when we first started, it was just me and my dad and we didn’t get any attention and no one believed in us. They certainly didn’t think that I’d be standing here today.

I can remember when we first started, him and my grandfather scrounged up just a little bit of money to open up a little boxing gym. And I mean, it was little. I can remember it was nothing but white tile on the floor and we had a ring taped off on the floor with nothing but tape, and we’d spar.

We’d stand around and hold hands so that people wouldn’t be falling everywhere. When they’d get sweaty, they’d slip and fall and go through the wall. And I can remember there’s one heavy bag hanging in the corner. You couldn’t even work around it. It was hanging so close to the corner. But when you really want something, you don’t need all the fanciest things. You don’t need the latest technology. Like I said, all you need is this and this.

So I know a lot of you when I say that I’m going to win November 6th, because I am going to win November 6th, that you don’t believe me. But let me explain something to y’all. All of you who tell me what I can’t do and blah, blah, blah, bullshit… A lot of you live believable lives and you’ve accomplished believable things.

But you see, when I set out on this, I promised myself that I was going to run this all the way to the top, where I had no problem crashing and burning and dying on the way. So when I set out, I set out to live an unbelievable life, and accomplish unbelievable things. So I don’t need you guys to believe in me when I say what I say.

Matter of fact, I want you to keep doing what you’re doing and keep not believing in me because you’re the very reason that I’m here. I know that sounds silly to you all, but you should have seen how silly their faces looked when I beat Jerry Odom to win the Golden Glove National. Somebody was in the finals, all three national tournaments that year knocking everybody out. He was the boogieman, right? And you should have seen how silly your faces looked. A lot of you boxing writers, everybody who’s going to be seeing this on YouTube and social media. You remember what you said Jose Uzcategui was going do to me? You said he was going to dog walk me. And what happened? He got his ass dog walked and he got set on his ass twice.

So Miguel Cotto’s brother can make you do the chicken dance, but I can’t? Yeah, okay. So again, I don’t need you guys to believe in me. I’ve been doing it my whole life.

So mark my words, November 6th, you will hear the words “And the new undisputed super middleweight.” The only difference is right after that, you’ll hear the words, “And still undefeated.” Mark my words.

That’s funny. You think that’s funny?

Canelo Alvarez: (27:53)
A little bit.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Well keep laughing.

Yeah.

You keep laughing, mother fucker. Because you know when you going to find out? Real soon.

You’re a mother fucker, don’t say mother fucker!

And you know when you going to find out?

Don’t say mother fucker again!

The same time everybody else found out.

Don’t say anything to my mother!

And you know when they found out? When it was too late, that’s when they found out and that’s exactly when you’re going to find out. Mark, my words you bitch.

Speaker 7: (28:14)
[crosstalk 00:28:14] you’re talking shit.

And you a bitch, too.

I didn’t say anything to you!

You know the only difference between you and him? Is he’s a fat ass bitch and you a bitch. What the fuck you going to do? Fuck you.

And you a drug chief! And you a drug chief. So tell me something, Oscar Valdez can pop positive for something and not get suspended for six months, but he can pop positive for something and get suspended for six months?

Don’t make excuses.

But somehow [crosstalk 00:28:43].

Don’t make excuses before the fight!

You’re a cheater.

Don’t make excuses before the fight.

You’re a cheater. [crosstalk 00:28:44] You got suspended for six months, you’re a cheater.

Say whatever you say.

Fuck you!

See you November 6th.

Suck my dick.

You want to see something special on you? And feel?

You going to find out, the same time all the rest of them found out.

Speaker 8: (28:53)
All right! That’s good. [crosstalk 00:28:56]

Announcer: (29:09)
Thank you Caleb. Now we’re going to hear from the other side. Time to hear from Canelo Alvarez, the pound for pound king and number one star of boxing. He is determined to become the first undisputed super middleweight world champion, the first Mexican and Latin American to capture an undisputed title, and one of boxing’s all time greats, please welcome the unified Super Middleweight Champion of the world, Saul Canelo Alvarez.

I just going to say something. You are not on my level, and you will see November 6th. You don’t want to find out, I promise you.

Want to find out. I promise you. [crosstalk 00:30:02] Thank you. Thank you everybody. See you November 6th. You know what I do and you know what is coming to this guy November 6th. Thank you.

Announcer: (30:23)
Well, we will have a chance to hear more from the fighters as we, this time, turn to our Q and A session. My pleasure to hand the microphone duties over to Emmy award winning sportscaster and host of Showtime championship boxing. The one and only Brian Custer. Brian, where are you? Here we go.

Brian Custer: (30:46)
Thank you, Jimmy. Canelo. Caleb. Welcome back. Last time we saw Caleb on Showtime was September of 2017. Last time saw Canelo on Showtime pay per view was July of 2014. So it has been a while. Welcome back. Let us get right into it. I guess the first question here, let us answer what happened here today. What Caleb, in a face off would make you guys want to take swings at one another? [crosstalk 00:31:21]

Cause he is a bitch. First off, all we was doing is staring at each other. He had something to say, I had something to say, he is going to beat me. I am going to beat him. And then he did what he did. So you have to ask him that question.

Canelo. What would make you guys want to take swings at each other on just a face off?

He can say whatever he wants to me. But not to my mom because I am going to fuck up everybody who says something to my mom. And he swing first. I just push him, but he swing first and just, I do what I do.

Let us get to the obvious question. What would it mean to you? What would it mean to your legacy? To be the first undisputed, super middleweight champion of the world?

For me, it is history, it is history for Mexico, everybody on my team and to be able to be the first Mexican to… On the spirit fighter. So it is great for my career.

Caleb, same question. I mean, you would be the first, what would that mean to you? What would that mean to your legacy?

It would mean a lot. I have dedicated a lot to this sport. I have sacrificed a lot for this sport and I have been doing this a long time, so it would just be my life’s work coming down to one moment. And it would etch my name in the history books forever, which is the reason I am doing this. It is not for money. It is not to get attention or to be famous. I want my name in those history books. And that is why I am here.

Let us get this out of the way. Because as you mentioned, when Oscar Valdez got punished for coming a positive for banned substance, Caleb, you tweeted “Eddie and Canelo deserve bitch of the year. All of them are suspect, everything out of that camp is intentional. They have the knowledge, the experience to know better, the resources to have the best in whatever they want. But tacos, beef and tea is always the reason. Get the F out of here. People do not take this stuff out of confidence. They take it out of fear. I said what I said, I stand by it so F whoever do not like it, the people in the sport know what is up, but they are the ones who do not speak up, or the ones who just cheat, just like them.

Yeah. I think that is to apparent in our sport today, this is a dangerous enough sport for people to be popping positive for things. And by the way, I do not think he got punished. There is no room for that in our sport, cheating that is not, people do not cheat out of confidence. People cheat out of fear. And he went to trial and he got suspended for six months. It is what it is. He is a cheater.

You think Canelo is a cheater.

Did he get suspended for six months?

He did.

Okay. Did he test positive? So you do not have to ask me. It is not a, well, he said he is. And he said, he ain’t, it is not a for discussion. It is not what I say. I am not making this up. I do not want this to be in our sport. So this ain’t something that I want. It is not what I said. It is with the commission said, it is what the banned substance list said. So you cannot take that up with me. You have to take that up with him.

Eddie. I will let you respond to that first because he mentioned you as well. What is your response?

Eddie: (35:53)
[foreign language 00:35:53]

There is a lot of people that hide from the social media point of view and say things, but then they do not put up, some are bitches in this sport and they want to take down a whole country and also a great sports athlete that represents a country, like in Canelo’s thing. And they talk a lot of shit.

Eddie: (36:32)

Yeah, there in a couple of bad words, he basically said, you need to work hard and you need to have the balls to work as hard as they do to have this event.

I have balls to work hard, without testing positive for illegal substance. Why do not you have the balls to work hard without testing positive for illegal substance? The question was about the drug. And the only thing you have talked about is blah. [Crosstalk 00:36:54] Or what? Or what?

You will see November 6th.

Or what? [crosstalk 00:36:59]

So how about this? Let us wrap it up with this.

You know for what.

Let us wrap it up with this, for all the people who pay their hard earned money, put down money for pay per view. They are coming November 6th to Las Vegas. They are paying their hard earned money on Showtime, pay per view to see you guys fight. Caleb, what can you guarantee these people they are going to get on November 6th.

Run, and run, and run, and run.

And still undefeated.

Canelo, what can you guarantee the people they are going to get on November 6th?

I am going to knockout this guy. Less than eight rounds. Easy.

Folks, it is for the undisputed super middleweight championship of the world. It will be the first 168 pound undisputed champion in the sport.

I will be.

Thank you for coming out. Gentlemen, best of luck. We will see you all November 6th.


Canelo Álvarez vs. Caleb Plant Press Conference

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