Benavidez vs Plant: Results, highlights, play-by-play

Check out results, highlights, and live coverage as David Benavidez takes on Caleb Plant in the big boxing event of the weekend

The last big boxing show of March takes us to Las Vegas and the super-middleweight division, as David Benavidez defends his interim WBC title against Caleb Plant.

With Canelo occupied for the year at least, this is a battle to establish top dog in the division in his absence. Benavidez (26-0-0, 23 KOs) is unbeaten, but has lost this title twice before- once on the scales, once to a drug test. So he’s hoping to stay at the top and prove his consistency now. Plant (22-1-0, 13 KOs), meanwhile, will be aiming to prove he still belongs at the pinnacle after his pretty sound loss to Canelo. There’s also a bit of personal beef between them- no deep history, but they do seem to genuinely not like each other. It should be a good one.

The card will be available in the US on Showtime pay-per-view, for $74.99. It starts at 9PM ET, with the main event expected about 11PM, though stay tuned here for any updates on that. The preliminary card will be available on Showtime’s youtube channel, starting at 7PM ET.

An update: little update in the bout order: the main card opens with Crowley vs Ramos- Crowley currently dominating and showing his high pace- so expect Colbert/Valenzuela and Ramos/Spencer to follow this

Apologies for the current lack of results for the earlier prelims: they weren’t televised, even on the youtube feed, and the results aren’t up yet even on Boxrec. We’ll get them for you as and when we can.

Update: Alright, ringwalks for the main event are happening. We’ll be live in just a few minutes.

Play-by-play

David Benavidez vs Caleb Plant

Round 1: Huge noise in the arena as we get under way. Plant starts the fight pushing forward behind a jab. Not getting close, just trying to keep Benavidez honest. That jab comes from very low down, makes it hard to evade. Benavidez trying to lean in with shots from outside the range. A feeling-out round this. Plant takes it on just a few more solid jabs, though Benavidez gets a decent left hook in late. 10-9 Plant

Round 2: Plant opens the round with a flurry before stepping off. Definitely operating with a plan to keep Benavidez from approaching too fast. Circling well too. Very quick to tie up when it does get close. Benavidez is starting to land the odd power shot though. Left hooks in particular working for him. Now he gets Plant to the ropes, but only briefly. Plant still probably taking the round, but he’s finishing the round definitively on the back foot. Scores a combination as the round closes, though. 10-9 Plant, 20-18

Round 3: Benavidez closes distance, but Plant works the body and spins out. Now a left hook catches Plant but he throws a counter upstairs. More engagement in this round. Plant with a left hook upstairs. Maybe getting too aggressive though, Plant catches a couple and ties up. He has to be very careful, Benavidez is a volume guy, but he’s a skilled counterfighter. Getting the jab working now. Much more joy for him now, he’s pushing Plant into tighter spaces then countering when Plant tries to scare him off. 10-9 Benavidez, 29-28

Round 4: Plant, again, opens trying to throw enough to make Benavidez hesitate. Works for a little bit, and Benavidez’ upright chin is a target as Plant circles and makes him turn. But, again, Benavides starts to get closer. Exchange of left hooks that Benavidez follows with an uppercut. And another. Plant finishes the round strongly, managing to walk Benavidez onto a few things. 10-9 Plant, 39-37

Round 5: Plant pushes Benavidez to the ropes. Which is an interesting choice, but he’s certainly scoring. Backs off now though. Benavidez starting to get frustrated, points to the ground. Plant doesn’t bite, of course, but Benavidez does immediately follow with a successful flurry. Plant circles out but is cornered again. Plant showboating, but I don’t think he’s that dominant to be doing that. Benavidez needs to keep a cool head, he’s losing rounds but having his moments. 10-9 Plant, 49-46

Round 6: Benavides for the first time comes out and immediately pushes in. The bodyshot stats are wiiiide for Plant, Benavidez should probably be throwing them more. And now he does. Feinting a bit better too. But in the middle of the round, Plant is matadoring him a bit. Plant is throwing very little though. Benavidez is only landing sporadically, but Plant is in evasion mode so far this round. Throws a bit in the final minute, but he’s being countered. 10-9 Benavidez, 58-56 Plant

Round 7: Benavidez getting very aggressive now, and Plant holding on. It seems like Benavidez has decided he can take Plant’s power, is worried more about the movement. Trying to short circuit him by being a bit cruder. Controlled crudeness though. Big swings, but deliberately closing distance behind them and uncorking more measured shots once he’s in. Plant has caught him big a couple of times as he steps snapping his head back visibly, that’s the risk, but Benavidez round. 10-9 Benavidez, 67-66 Plant

Round 8: Plant has enough of being flustered backwards, steps in and holds immediately to start the round. The ref disengages them, and Benavidez back on the hunt. Huge shot by Benavidez, a right wobbles Plant and he wobbles backwards! Now he’s quite static. Benavidez goes to the body, the ref calls it low. Big step-in right snaps Plant’s head sideways, then he’s hurt again! Bayliss calls time for the doctor to look at a cut. That seems odd, it’s not that serious. Plant has time to recover. Left hook to body then head and Plant is all over the place. Benavidez’ shots as he steps in are unorthodox and risky, but Plant is having huge trouble with them now. 10-9 Benavidez, 76-76

Round 9: Low blow by Plant to open the round. Well, that’s one way to keep an oppent off. Time called, hard warning for Plant. They restart, Plant really working the body hard early. And backs Benavidez off with a flurry upstairs. Huge right by Benavidez, then a left. And a jab as Plant tries to circle out. Benavidez for someone so long is very good at short shots in close, Plant cannot afford to be there. Plant has adopted a high guard instead of his usual shell, which opens the route to the body and Benavidez is taking it. And Plant is buzzed at the bell. Momentum definitely with Benavidez. 10-9 Benavidez, 86-85

Round 10: Plant starting to get wild, which is bad news for him. Big right by Benavidez scores. Then he gets in close, Plant is tying up but no logner successfully stopping Benavidez’ punching. Bad bad news for him. Uppercuts also in play. Benavidez is on the ropes, but dominating. Plant has lost his head. Well, he’s trying to get the respect to stop the volume, but it’s not working. No movement anymore. Plant in survival mode. 10-9 Benavidez, 96-94

Round 11: Plant starts out throwing, but the moment they get to clinching range, Benavidez tags him. Chopping overhand right is followed by a big left hook coming up. Plant is showing heart but he has little left. Those chopping rights, coming downare doing Plant real damage. He grabs one arm and just gets whaled with the other. The corner should think about stopping this, this is at best semi-intelligent defence. Huge left rocks Plant back! Exchange to the bell and they end the round jawing at each other at the bell. 10-9 Benavidez, 106-103

Round 12: Let’s be clear, these rounds have been 10-9 but they have been wide. Plant comes out, again, trying to throw back, he’s certainly leaving nothing in the tank. Benavidez continues to stalk, though. A big chopping right sends Plant staggering, more balance than anything though. Benavidez still pushiing and clearly winning, but he may have felt his own pace, he’s taking it a bit easier. And Plant just absolutely empties the tank, throwing to the bell. What a fight. 10-9 Benavidez, 116-112

Official result: 115-113 116-112, 117-111 to David Benavidez

Hell of a fight folks. Thanks for your time.

Results

WBC interim super-middlweight title: David Benavidez UD Caleb Plant 115-113 116-112, 117-111

Super lightweight: Jesus Ramos TKO-7 Joey Spencer

Lightweight: Chris Colbert UD Jose Valenzuela 95-94 95-94 95-94

Welterweight: Cody Crowley SD Abel Ramos 115-113, 116-112 114-114

Super-bantamweight: Kevin Gonzalez UD10 Jose Sanmartin 98-92 99-91 97-93

Super-lightweight: Orestes Velasquez UD10 Marcelino Nicolas Lopez 99-91 99-91 97-93

Super-featherweight: Demler Zamora vs. Jesus Abel Ibarra

Super-middleweight: Daniel Blancas vs. Nicholas Molina

Super-featherweight Robert Meriwether III vs. Jesus Ramon Perez