Big fights are waiting for Caleb Plant—now that he has proven he still got it. After some trouble in the first four rounds, where Trevor McCumby dropped Plant, the Tennessee technician took back control and dominated the rest of the fight. By the time the 9th round came around, Plant had McCumby pushed against the ropes as the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

Plant won the fight via a 9th-round technical knockout, and became the interim WBA super middleweight champion, which will, of course, open up new doors for the 32-year-old. However, the question is, which door will Caleb Plant take? Will he pursue a rematch against Canelo Alvarez, as is his right? A potential fight against Jaime Munguia recently made headlines. Or will it be someone else entirely? Let’s find out.

Canelo Alvarez: The chance at redemption

If you think about it, Caleb Plant’s trouble began after his loss to ‘Cinnamon’ in November 2021. Much like Edgar Berlanga, Plant was confident he would be the one to dethrone Canelo from his reign over the super middleweight division. However, reality had an 11th-round knockout loss written all over it. Regardless, a rematch is not the worst idea, at least for him. 

If he can manage to convince the former undisputed super middleweight champion, he has a shot at earning three belts. Plus, since he is the interim champion now, he is entitled to a fight against Canelo for the full version of the title. And who knows? If Canelo sets his sights on beating Caleb Plant even more decisively than David Benavidez did last March, the fight becomes a real possibility.

However, here’s where things start to look bad for Plant. First of all, while Plant won his latest fight well enough, his performance wasn’t good enough to convince anyone he could now beat Canelo. Next, why would Canelo take this fight—he has already defeated Plant convincingly. The public is also unlikely to have much interest in it, which means no big payday for Canelo—meaning no fight.

Nonetheless, as a potential opponent for Caleb Plant, Canelo is the best option for his career. And previously, even Plant has expressed interest in eventually fighting Canelo in a rematch. However, the Mexican star is not his only option.

Time to put it to the test

You see, the hype for this fight has already begun and the best part is that both parties have already established animosity against each other. In the buildup to the event, during a press conference, Berlanga took shots at Caleb Plant for losing to Canelo in the past. Some very kind words were exchanged between them, as they expressed a desire to harm one another.

Even for Berlanga, this fight should make a lot of sense—he just lost his shot at the titles. His ego is wounded—he will want another shot. So, why not fight Plant for the interim title and challenge Canelo again if he could defeat Caleb Plant? Age is in his favor, knockout is in his favor and after tonight’s fight, the hype for such a bout would be unreal. 

As for Plant, after losing to Canelo and David Benavidez, he really needs to prove that he is among the elites in the division, which is easy by fighting Berlanga. Given the current state of these two boxers, the fight will be a neck-and-neck battle to prove who gets a second shot.

A trip to Top Rank for Jaime Munguia 

If a fight between Caleb Plant and Jaime Munguia ends up happening, the credit goes to Golden Boys Promotion head Oscar De La Hoya, as he was the one who teased it in the first place. But this is where things get wicked. After Oscar came up with the brilliant idea, Munguia packed his bags and moved to Top Rank. Meaning that if this fight happens, Top Rank will reap the benefits.

Regardless, Plant vs. Munguia makes a lot of sense in the same way as Berlanga vs. Plant. Munguia has also lost a fight to Canelo, and a shot at winning Plant’s newly acquired title must be enticing, as it could lead to a rematch and a big payday. Also, Munguia is slated to fight Erik Bazinyan on 20th September, which means early next year Plant and Munguia can get down to business.

Fight the next best-ranked Christian Mbilli 

If Canelo’s past opponents don’t sit right with Plant, he even has the option to face off against WBA’s ranked No. 2, and WBC’s ranked No.1 Christian Mbilli. A win against Mbilli can solidify Plant’s claim to being the best contender for Canelo Alvarez and secure a title fight in the future. On the other hand, this fight can give Mbilli a great opportunity to level up his game against an opponent Canelo has fought.

In case Mbilli wins this potential fight, he would stand a chance to eventually challenge Canelo himself. Plus, Mbilli is coming off a great unanimous decision win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, when he even expressed his desire to fight Canelo. While it’s unlikely Canelo just gives him a shot, Mbilli can earn his way up to that shot by beating Caleb Plant.

Canelo’s other No.1 contender: Diego Pacheco

Diego Pacheco is yet another very interesting option for Plant. The 23-year-old is currently ranked No.1 contender for Canelo’s belt under the WBO. For Plant, a win in this fight could be a way to further his point of being the best challenge for Canelo. On the other hand, if Pacheco beats Plant, he will signal to Canelo about his potential as his next choice of an undefeated opponent.

Not to mention, Pacheco has been itching for an opportunity to get a step closer to potentially facing Canelo, which obviously gets easier through Plant. Pacheco is coming off a vicious 6th-round knockout win over Maciej Sulecki, which means if Plant takes this route, getting a win won’t be an easy endeavor. 

Now, it’s up to Plant which route he wants to go down in, but the most optimal opponent for him would be Mbilli, especially because of Plant’s last performance. After Mbilli, he can build up and take out opponents one after another to eventually face the boss. Who would you want Caleb Plant to fight next?