Fight Night Preview: Caleb Plant vs. Jose Resendiz and Jermall Charlo vs. Thomas LaManna

A detailed overview of the upcoming bouts featuring Plant and Charlo, highlighting their careers and what’s at stake in their respective matches.

Just a few weeks prior, the boxing world witnessed the hazards associated with scheduling major fighters for preliminary bouts before pitting them against one another. On Saturday, Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo aim to avoid the fate that befell Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia, as they prepare for significant matchups later this year.

On May 2, Garcia faced an unexpected defeat at the hands of Rolando Romero, while Haney navigated a lackluster contest against Jose Carlos Ramirez. These fights produced among the lowest punch counts recorded in CompuBox history, significantly dampening interest for what was anticipated to be an exciting rematch. [1] To avoid a similar fate, both Plant and Charlo step into the ring with hopes of securing victories that lead to fights fans genuinely desire to see.

The potential clash between Plant and Charlo has heightened interest, stemming primarily from a tense moment at the weigh-ins for the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford fight in 2023. A verbal exchange escalated into Plant slapping Charlo, prompting a swift intervention by security personnel.

Caleb Plant (23-2, 14 KO), previously holding the IBF super middleweight title and currently recognized as the WBA interim titleholder, will face Jose Armando Resendiz (15-2, 11 KO) in the main event. Plant’s career losses have come exclusively from top-tier opponents, including a late TKO defeat to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2021 and a decision loss to David Benavidez in 2023. However, Plant rebounded successfully from the loss to Benavidez with a commanding 9th round TKO over Trevor McCumby last September.

In this fight, Plant is favored significantly over Resendiz, whose most notable victory was over a past-prime Jarrett Hurd in 2023. However, that momentum quickly diminished when Resendiz suffered a stoppage against Elijah Garcia shortly after.

During a pre-fight press conference, Plant indicated that the greatest threat might come from a scenario where he carries the primary risk entering the bout.

“I’m looking to put on a show. This is a significant moment for Armando, but it’s critical for me as well. While he might have nothing to lose, I have everything to lose. I’ve sacrificed so much, and that will be evident in the ring,” said Plant.

In a similar vein, Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KO) finds himself in a parallel position. A former IBF junior middleweight and WBC middleweight champion, Charlo’s recent activity has been overshadowed by prolonged inactivity, having fought only once since 2021. His recent years have also been marked by numerous legal challenges.

Charlo aims to regain momentum when he competes against Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (39-5-1, 18 KO). LaManna has built a career on extended winning streaks against lower-tier opponents but has consistently struggled when stepping up in competition. His last significant bout came in 2021, when he was quickly dispatched by Erislandy Lara within 80 seconds.

This fight should pose minimal challenges for Charlo, a sentiment he expressed at the press conference:

“If he makes the wrong move, miscalculates, or gets just a bit too close, I’m going to knock him out cold. I can feel the energy and it’s fantastic right now. I’m grateful for my entire team that has supported me through this. I’m ready to showcase my talent and bring back the old Jermall Charlo.”

Fight Odds

Caleb Plant -2500 vs. Jose Armando Resendiz +1100, super middleweights
Jermall Charlo -1667 vs. Thomas LaManna +800, super middleweights
Yoenli Hernandez -770 vs. Kyrone Davis +500, middleweights
Curmel Moton -10000 vs. Renny Mastrapa +1600, lightweights

Viewing Details

Date: May 31 | Location: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas
Start time: 8 p.m. ET (Main card)
Viewing Options: Amazon Prime Video

Predictions

The outcome for both headlining fights seems all but predetermined. Any stumble by Plant or Charlo would result in one of the year’s most shocking upsets. For LaManna to succeed, Charlo’s prolonged absence from the ring would have to translate into significant rust combined with a lack of competitive drive. However, given LaManna’s history of being overpowered by less formidable fighters, such a scenario seems highly unlikely.

Similarly, Plant stands several tiers above Resendiz and has demonstrated his ability to manage opponents at Charlo’s caliber. There doesn’t appear to be a clear pathway for Resendiz to secure a victory, as he fails to outperform Plant in any aspect. Predictions: Plant by TKO5, Charlo by KO2.

Notes:

Former champions have faced varying outcomes in preliminary fights leading to less anticipated bouts.