Fox Fight Week: Plant vs. Truax, the Battle of Calebs

Rising boxing star Caleb Plant will put his IBF title on the line against Caleb Truax in a Super middleweight bout (168 pounds) on Saturday at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The bout will be televised on Fox.

“On fight night, we’re going to get punches in bunches,” Fox boxing analyst Shawn Porter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently. “We’re going to get a lot of movement and a lot of speed.”

Plant is 20-0 with 12 knockouts, while Truax is 31-4-2 with 19 knockouts.

“I don’t see it going 12 rounds,” Plant said in a virtual interview with the AJC on Jan. 15. “That’s my goal is to stop him. If he quits or if his corner throws in the towel or if the ref steps in and does his job. One of those three things will happen.”

Plant acknowledged Truax’s more experience.

“He’s a tough competitor,” Plant said. “He’s a former world champion. He’s got a lot of experience. But I plan on going in there right off the bat and show my separation.”

Plant felt his preparations for the bout went well.

“This has definitely been one of my best camps,” Plant said. “I’m fully prepared to go in there and handle my business.”

A victory could lead to a major pay-for-view bout for Plant.

“I’ve been able to headline Fox multiple times now,” Plant said. “It’s been a great platform. Hopefully, here soon we can get that Fox pay-for-view against Canelo (Alvarez). I think that’s going to work out here real soon.”

It hasn’t been a easy climb for Plant, who’s from Nashville.

“To reach that world championship level, it’s taken a lot of hard work,” Plant said. “I’ve sacrificed a lot of things along the way. Not even, even as a child, to do well in the amateurs. I’m a Golden Glove national champion and Olympic alternate and became a world champion with 18 fights.

“It’s definitely taken me a lot of sacrifice and dedication, but that goes with anything in life. Whenever you set out in life to do something or be something there are going to be sacrifices along the way. I feel like I’ve meet those and been rewarded for it. Hard work does pay off.”

The Atlanta market has helped to boost boxing ratings. In 2020, Fox PBC boxing telecasts averaged a 1.2 household rating in the market, which over indexes the national average by plus-71%. (0.7 total US rating), which indicates a healthy interest from the DMA area.

“The Atlanta market has always been a good boxing market,” said Bill Wanger, Fox sports executive vice president of programming and scheduling. “I think for Caleb (Plant) being from Nashville, he’ll have some regional appeal there. In the past, we’ve had Deontay Wilder, who’s from the Birmingham area, close to Atlanta, so we have some good roots in the South.”

If Plant wins the bout, he will be in line for a pay-for-view bout.

“It was kind of how we crafted the deal with the PBC where we have 12 FS1 fights a year, and we have 10 Fox a year,” Wanger said. “Then you know four to five pay-per-views. It’s kind of easy to see a progression, whether it’s Caleb Plant or Shawn Porter of Deontay Wilder, where they fight on a broadcast network on Fox which has the widest possible reach, they eventually gain enough momentum and fan base to put them on pay-for-view.”

The purses are larger for the pay-per-view fights.

“That’s something that we are hoping to do with Caleb Plant,” Wanger said. “In the sport of boxing, that’s kind of the upper echelon of fighters. Yeah, they have the opportunity to make some more money. There is a certain cache there. So, yeah, I think all of these guys want to fight in a pay-for-view bout. But I would say, it doesn’t mean that they would never fight again on Fox after a pay-for-view.”

Plant has grown in popularity with the Fox promoting the fight before recent NFL playoff games.

“It’s definitely a great time to be fighting with the playoffs going on,” Plant said. “The lead up and build up of the fight being played during those playoff games. It’s a great time. I’m excited. I can’t wait to get there and let the bell ring so that I can do what I do best.”

Plant finished his sparring with the final 12 rounds Jan. 16.

“My favorite punch is the one that lands,” Plant said. “It depends on what’s called for. I feel like I’m well-rounded. For the people who haven’t seen me before, I’m explosive. I’m fast. ... It’s going to be an exciting fight. I plan on ending it in a knockout.”