Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo were in action on Saturday with a showdown later in the year hanging in the balance as both men simply had to win their fights as massive favorites. While Charlo held up his end of the bargain by trouncing Thomas "Cornflake" LaManna, Plant was shocked in the main event, dropping a split decision to Jose Armando Resendiz.
Resendiz's pressure throughout the fight kept Plant from ever getting comfortable. While Plant got off to an early lead in the fight, he never put together sustained combinations and throwing one or two punches at a time allowed Resendiz to pile up momentum as the rounds went by.
When Plant's corner was imploring him to turn up the heat late, Plant either didn't have the energy or the ability to fend off the constant forward movement of Resendiz and the fight quickly got away from him.
By the end of 12 rounds, it appeared Resendiz had done enough to take the decision and Plant's interim WBA super middleweight title. Two fo the three official judges agreed, giving Resendiz the win by scores of 116-112, 113-115 and 116-112.
"Listen, I don't blame them," Resendiz said of being a massive underdog entering the fight. "I knew everyone was going to be against me ... but I believed in myself."
Resendiz was a +1100 underdog, matching the odds when Andy Ruiz pulled off his shocking 2019 upset of Anthony Joshua to become unified heavyweight champion. Resendiz ended the fight with a 186 to 108 advantage in punches landed.
One fight earlier, Charlo easily handled his business against LaManna, scoring three knockdowns before the ringside physician stepped in to call off the bout in the corner following the fifth round.
Charlo, who had been out of action since November 2023 and had only fought twice since 2020, showed few signs of ring rust against LaManna.
It took seconds for Charlo's powerful jab to mark up LaManna's face. From there, Charlo patiently walked LaManna down, landing hard punches that repeatedly hurt and dropped LaManna.
Charlo held up his side of the process to make a fight with Plant, who delivered a slap to Charlo's face in an infamous 2023 confrontation at the weigh-in for Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr.
"I was more focused on getting this fight out of the way," Charlo said of a Plant fight after his win. "They know what it is. They know where I'm at. I want my lick back. It's going down."
Instead, a fight with Resendiz could be in Charlo's future. It's a fight Resendiz said he would pursue with an upset earlier in the week.
"I'm ready to fight everyone," Resendiz said after his win. "Whoever the public wants."
CBS Sports was with you throughout the entire way on Saturday, beginning with the start of the main card broadcast at 8 p.m. ET.
And there it is! Jose Resendiz wins a massive upset over Caleb Plant to win the WBA interim super middleweight championship. A tremendous performance from a huge underdog and a deserved decision.
Resendiz was on the front foot again, with Plant seemingly needing a knockout or at least a knockdown. Resendiz landed a good right hand to the body. Resendiz contiued to cut off the ring and landed two right hands in the corner. Resendiz landed a short left hook. A jab and right hand landed for Resendiz. Plant landed a jab and a right hand but not with the same impact as Plant's shots. Resendiz's pressure kept Plant from doing much of anything down the stretch. This shold be a huge upset, the same longshot odds as Andy Ruiz's shock upset of Anthony Joshua in 2019.
Plant landed a good left to the body as Resendiz tried to keep up the pressure. Resendiz landed his own hard shot to the body and a short uppercut inside. Plant was left with a cut over his right eye from a left from Resendiz. Resendiz just continued coming forward and Plant didn't have the output to do anything about it. The judges will have to give Plant a big assist if he doesn't get the knockout in the final round.
Resendiz continued to pressure, forcing Plant to work off the back foot and along the ropes. Resendiz kept pumping the jab and then landed a few good right hands. Plant did land a good left hook. Resendiz pressured hard late in the round, working to the body and head. Plant was only returning one shot at a time while Resendiz kept the punch output high. Plant looks on the verge of a massive upset defeat.
Both men landed jabs early in the round as Plant continued to clinch repeatedly. Plant ripped to the body and Resendiz answered before another hard body shot from Plant. Resendiz then ripped a three-punch combination. Plant continued to rip shots to the body in the round. Resendiz landed a hard overhand right to Plant's chin. Resendiz landed a good body shot and then some clean shots to the head that may have stolen him the round.
Plant got clipped early in the round as he continued to look more and more uncertain. Plant tried to work off of his jab but that was no longer doing enouch to keep Resendiz off of him. Plant did connect with a left hook but was caught by a jab again. Resendiz landed a straight right hand. Plant continued to clinch every time Resendiz got inside. The two braled inside but Resendiz got the better of the exchange and then tagged Plant along the ropes. Resendiz landed to the body and Plant grabbed at his head, seeming to want a foul for a headbutt. Plant looks as though he's collapsing.
Plant tried to get to work to the body, clearly wanting to slow Resendiz after the previous round. Plant still looked a touch unsteady on his legs but kept working jabs and body shots. Resendiz really amped up the pressure, even as Plant pumped out jab after jab. Resendiz landed a good right hand and then a flurry of shots in close. Plant landed a sharp left hook and then ate a jab. Resendiz has really built some momentum here.
Resendiz landed a clean jab and an overhand right slightly after. Plant landed a good short left hook counter on the inside. Resendiz came forward with a good flurry, landing a few punches. Plant dipped down with a body shot and then a right hand upstairs. A hard right hand landed for Resendiz and appeared to have Plant hurt. Plant grabbed on to survive as Resendiz came forward with a big flurry of shots before the round ended. Huge moment for Resendiz.
Plant started working to the body a bit more in the round, meeting the requests of his corner. Resendiz landed his own right hand to the body as the fight continued to revolve around small moments rather than big flurries of action. Resendiz again landed to the body before both landed jabs and then Plant landed a short right hand counter.
Plant tried to slot whings down with his jab, using that to land a left hook. Plant ripped a good left to the body. Another left hook to the body followed moments later. Resendiz tried to start firing his own jab, landing a few good ones. Neither man is having big statement rounds so far.
Plant was right back on the jab early in the round. A good left hook landed for Plant as he countered a shot from Resendiz. Resendiz finally landed a good two-punch combination to break up the rhythm a little bit. Resendiz landed another combination, including a looping right hand. Plant landed a good check left hook and a left hook to the body. That was Resendiz's best round of the fight.
Resendiz landed a good body shot and started to pressure Plant a little bit more in this round than the first. Plant went back to working off of his jab. Plant went downstairs a few times in the round and did land a good right hand late. Not much action through two rounds.
Palnt tried to draw Resendiz in, moving and popping the occasional punch. A left hook got in for Pant and then a quick jab. Resendiz did not rush forward, trying to just patiently look for openings. Plant landed a nice one-two combination. Resendiz didn't do much of note in the round as Plant ended with another good jab.
"I was more focused on getting this fight out of the way," Charlo said after his win. "They know what it is. They know where I'm at. I want my lick back. It's going down."
Charlo was on the receiving end of a Plant slap backstage at the weigh-ins for Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. and would love a chance to settle things in the ring.
Much as the previous fights on the card, there's no real doubt at the sportsbooks who is going to win this one. Plant is a huge favorite and has routinely defeated people at Resendiz's level. Resendiz winning would be a shocking upset -- possibly the upset of the year. But fights are fought in the ring and Plant has to hold up his side of the bargain to land the Charlo fight.
Between rounds, LaManna was checked by the doctor, who recommended the fight be stopped. LaManna seemed angered by the decision, but he was ready to be knocked out at any moment. Charlo was hurting him repeatedly and LaManna had nothing in his toolbox that was going to change what was happening. The expected result, but Charlo looked solid in his return.
