Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo preview respective fights
Super middleweight stars Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo previewed their respective showdowns at a Los Angeles press conference on Wednesday before they co-headline PBC Championship Boxing on Prime Video on Saturday, May 31 from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Plant faced off against Mexican knockout artist Armando Reséndiz, while Charlo squared off with veteran contender Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna at the event on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Plant will top the card with a defence of his Interim WBA Super Middleweight Title against the hard-hitting Reséndiz, while the unbeaten two-division champion Charlo begins his quest for a title in a third weight class when he faces LaManna in the 10-round co-main event.
The lineup will begin at 8pm ET / 5pm PT / 1am BST and also features top middleweight contenders Yoenli Feliciano Hernandez and Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis dueling in a 10-round fight, plus rising contender Isaac “La Bestia” Lucero faces hard-hitting Omar Valenzuela in a super welterweight attraction that opens the streaming presentation.
The four-fight card streams exclusively on Prime Video for all Prime members in the United States and select countries. Tickets for the live event are on sale now through AXS.com.
Here is what the press conference participants had to say Wednesday from The Mayan in Los Angeles:
CALEB PLANT
“May 31 is gonna be fireworks. It’s gonna be a great show with a great card. From top to bottom, it’s a stacked card.
“Me and my team have been working really hard to make sure we step on Armando in impressive fashion and get my hand raised. Then we’re gonna go on about our business. It’s gonna be a show and I’m gonna step on him.
“This is his big moment and I know he’s coming with everything he’s got. But there are levels to this, and I’m gonna show him that. I’m gonna handle him and go from there. Whatever he’s got planned, best of luck, because he’s gonna need it.
“I’ve always been hungry and I’ve always been driven. I’m a competitor and I’m a winner in life. Regardless of the money or fame, I don’t care about stuff like that. I care about getting my hand raised and seeing how many titles I can rack up. I wanna show my kids what hard work looks like.
“I feel like I am the man in the division. Obviously, Canelo is still active and I have a lot of respect for him, but I still feel like I’m the best super middleweight in the world. That’s just my mentality. May 31, I take another step toward proving that.
“Depending who gets their hand raised in the co-main event, I can get it cracking with either one. I’m not hard to find and I’m not hard to make a fight with. A lot of fighters make the mistake of looking past their opponent and they end up not even winning the fight in front of them. I won’t make the same mistake.
“I’m not gonna expand on the sparring we had. He remembers and he knows what happened.”
ARMANDO RESENDIZ
“I’m very excited for this opportunity. I’m thrilled to represent my people on May 31. That means the world to me. I’m here to stay. I’m capable of everything inside the ring. I have what it takes to win and I promise May 31 is gonna be a great show.
“This is a big challenge, but I see it as a great opportunity. I’m going to lean on the work that I’ve done so far and you’re going to see me at my best.
“His talk just gives me fuel. I’m not a talker, I’m a doer. I’m gonna talk with my fists. May 31 is gonna mark a new chapter in my career.
“This is a very important fight for me. This isn’t just for me, it’s my family’s future on the line. My family is counting on me. I can’t let them down. I’m telling everyone right now that I’m gonna put on a show and it’s gonna be fireworks. I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.”
JERMALL CHARLO
“It’s been a journey and a long time coming. I’m going up to 168 to make a statement. I’ve been focused and locked in. I wanna get this fight out of the way and possibly get it on with Caleb Plant. I have big plans in the works, so keep it locked in. Lions Only.
“I just miss boxing period. I miss getting up and just focusing on boxing and I’m back to doing that at the highest level.
“The sky’s the limit for me at this weight. I’m sparring bigger guys and I can lift more now. I’m squatting more than I ever did and using my body more than I ever did. I feel like this is the division I’m gonna end my career in.
“You’re gonna see me go out and be more explosive than you’ve ever seen me before in my life.
“I’m gonna go do my job. I got bigger fights and bigger fish to fry. I’m not overlooking him. I know he’s training for Jermall Charlo. I know how they come at me. ‘Breadman’ Edwards is sitting right there, he’ll tell you that I stand up to the challenge every time.
“This guy LaManna is trying to Facetime me and write me on Instagram and all this stuff. Go train, I’m busy man.”
THOMAS LAMANNA
“I’m grateful to be here. Professionally and personally, I’m not supposed to be here. A win over Jermall Charlo changes my life. I’m glad he’s here and on May 31, we’re gonna rumble and the best man is gonna win.
“I’ve been in this same seat before and I came up short when I fought Erislandy Lara. I never want to go through that again. It messed me up. We all know what the task at hand is and we’re gonna give this my best shot. I’m gonna give it my all. We’re gonna upset the apple cart.
“He’s a two-division champion who’s been at the top level. I won’t take that away from him. We can talk about what we’re gonna do, but that’s why we fight the fights. Talking about sparring and training won’t win the fight.
“We’re gonna see what happens on May 31. I’m gonna shock the world. That’s what I’m coming to do.
“He’s put me on ice since the end of September. I just wanted to know what we’re doing. I wasn’t getting answers and I wanted answers. I’m not trying to play mind games. We don’t know each other. But now I know we’re fighting May 31 and that’s all that matters.”
