A look at the history and the pay days on the line when the undisputed super middleweight championship goes up for grabs Saturday in Las Vegas
When Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant meet in the ring at the MGM GrandGarden Arena in Las Vegas, one of the two fighters will walk away as the first-ever undisputed, four-belt super-middleweight (168-pound) champion in the history of boxing.
As the WBA, WBC, WBO, and Ring champ, Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KO) will look to add to his legacy by putting Plant in his place and claiming the Teotihuacan belt — a brand-new commemorative strap meant to unify the super middleweight class.
The Mexican icon is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and a win on Saturday will only solidify that status. He enters as a serious 10-to-1 (-1000) favorite at FanDuel.
Plant (21-0, 12 KO) holds the IBF super middleweight belt and is undefeated as a pro, but he’s a long underdog at +640. The Tennessee native has yet to face a fighter like Canelo, but still packs enough of a punch to potentially shock the world and hand Canelo only the second loss of his career.
And aside from the hardware, let’s not forget about the bragging rights at stake, as there’s obviously bad blood between the two brawlers.
Both fighters already got it on in September at a press conference at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The pre-fight dust-up left Plant with a mark on his face and created plenty of buzz around the match months before it was to take place.
While Wednesday’s final presser before the fight was mostly subdued, it’s safe to say the winner-take-all contest is bound to be a slugfest.
But regardless of who becomes 168’s first undisputed champion, both fighters are poised to leave Las Vegas with a lot of money.
Canelo vs. Plant: Fight Night Financials
The total purse for the highly-anticipated unification fight is $50 million — and that’s not including the cut each fighter may get from Showtime’s pay-per-view sales, which costs $79.99 a pop, not to mention any other tie-in deals on the side.
Canelo, 31, will earn a reported guaranteed purse of $40 million, whereas Plant, 29, will walk away with $10 million. Those are both massive figures for each fighter — especially “Sweet Hands,” who’s just now becoming a big earner in the sport.
With a net worth reportedly right around $2 million, Plant could put himself in the perfect position for future paydays if he was to do the unthinkable.
In his previous fight, Plant made a reported $750,000 for stepping in the ring against Caleb Truax, his third IBF title defense. (Long story short, his previous fights earned him far less.)
Canelo’s net worth, meanwhile, stands at an estimated $140 million.
In his last fight against Billy Joe Saunders, Alvarez netted a guaranteed $15 million, plus $2.5 million in payouts. He also took home 60-percent of the pay-per-view earnings that night — which when factored in means he earned roughly $35 million.
In total, Canelo has earned more than $300 million during his boxing career.
But aside from the proverbial bags of cash, so much more is at stake than just the fight check from Saturday night.
For Canelo, a win means making history, as well as another big payday. A loss may just end up being a blip on an already legendary career.
For Plant, losing is likely not an option. A win for “Sweet Hands” means respect, as well future fights with much more money on the line.
Plant vs. Canelo Fight Facts
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Hometown: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Age: 31
Height: 5-foot-9
Reach: 70.5 inches
Record:56-1-2, 38 KOs
Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant
Hometown: Ashland City, Tennessee, USA
Age: 29
Height: 6-foot-1
Reach: 74 inches
Record:21-0, 12 KOs
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FanDuel betting odds: Canelo -1000 / Plant +600
Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected to take place at approximately midnight ET Saturday night.
Showtime US PPV price: $79.99
BT Sport Box Office UK/Ireland PPV price: £19.95
Plant vs. Canelo Fight Card
Undisputed super middleweight championship: Canelo Alvarez (c) vs. Caleb Plant
Super middleweight: Anthony Dirrell vs. Marcos Hernandez
Super bantamweight: Rey Vargas vs. Leonardo Baez
Super lightweight: Elvis Rodriguez vs. Juan Pablo Romero
