LAS VEGAS —
Caleb Plant claims
Edgar Berlanga is bobbing and weaving and ducking and dodging him,
much like the viral workout clips "The Chosen One" shares.
Plant (23-2, 14 KOs), the WBA interim super middleweight champion, returns Saturday to headline a PBC on Prime Video show at Mandalay Bay against Armando Resendiz. On July 12,
Berlanga will face Hamzah Sheeraz to headline the Ring III card in New York. Plant and Berlanga could have been facing each other this summer
after engaging in a year-long beef. They
called for a clash, but Plant insists Berlanga hasn't been answering the call as he moves on.
"I tried making a fight with Berlanga, but he seems to be a part of the witness protection program," Plant told
The Ring. "He doesn't want any smoke. Everybody knows that I have been wanting that fight."
After having gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez in spirited defeats, Plant is taking a perceived step down vs. Resendiz (15-2, 11 KOs).
But with Berlanga choosing other pastures, Jaime Munguia busy getting revenge earlier this month against Bruno Surace and
Jermall Charlo needing a tune-up against Thomas LaManna as Saturday night's co-feature, Plant had no choice but to stay busy.
The 32-year-old Tennessean last fought in September and
knocked out Trevor McCumby in a firefight during the Alvarez-Berlanga undercard.
"Not every fight is going to be a megafight. I'm going to get to the biggest fights the fastest way that I can, and this is where I am at," said Plant.
"First things first, I have to lock in on Armando. Everything else will fall into place. I won't make the same mistakes as others by not staying focused on the task at hand. I'm going to put on a show Saturday."
As for Berlanga's chances against Sheeraz, Plant, like most oddsmakers, favors the near minus-140 betting favorite Puerto Rican to beat the Brit.
"I don't know, [the chances] are probably good," said Plant. "Sheeraz is moving up from middleweight. But who knows? That's for them to figure out. We can speculate, but they need to figure it out once the bell rings.
"All of the top super middleweights are on my radar. A lot of fighters say that, but don't prove it. I have. I want to face the best."
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring's lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan