By Norm Frauenheim –
LAS VEGAS — In terms of trash talk, it’s all been said.
Maybe that’s why David Benavidez and Caleb Plant didn’t have much else to say Wednesday at media workouts for their super-middleweight clash Saturday at the MGM Grand in a pay-per-view bout.
That’s not to say threats weren’t there. Benavidez climbed through the ropes and into a ring near the MGM Sportsbook. He looked at the crowd and made what has become a familiar, throat-slashing gesture. It was his way of saying he intends to do more than just knock out Plant.
“Everybody I hit, gets hurt,” Benavidez said.
The hurt will be there early, Benavidez promises , in what he says will be a quick finish. He intends to knock out Plant within six rounds in a bout that could lead to a shot at big money against pay-per-view star Canelo Alvarez, who last week agreed to a May 6 bout with John Ryder at home in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
“This is the most focused I’ve ever been for a fight,” Benavidez said. “I know Caleb Plant is going to be a hard fighter, moving around a lot. But whatever he brings to the table, I’m going to be ready for it. I’m looking for that knockout and I’m going to get it.’
If there was a surprise, it was the way Benavidez looked. The Phoenix fighter has long had a soft-looking upper-body. He was a chubby kid, he says. Plant had another word for it. He called him fat. Whatever the description, he entered the ring Wednesday, looking every bit like the maturing fighter who turned 26 in December
“This is the best I’ve ever felt mentally, physically and emotionally,” Benavidez said. “I was already a monster before, but Caleb Plant brought the ‘Mexican Monster’ out of me.”
On Wednesday at least, there were no taunts from Plant.
“I’ve been here before,” said Plant, a Tennessean who grew up near Nashville. “I’ve been in big fights before. I know what this is all about and I know what it takes. Me and my team are fully prepared to get my hand raised on Saturday night.”
Both fighters were understated, wary perhaps of a confrontation that could lead to a scuffle. Opening bell is just a couple of days away. Years of trash-talk has left evident tension. As a result, there are doubts the fighters will engage in the ritual face-off both at the final formal news conference Thursday and at the weigh-in Friday. But Benavidez was hopeful.
“I’m hoping we can still do a face-off, give the fans what they want,” Benavidez said. “I’m not going to do something, something stupid, that might jeopardize this event. Not after all the work I’ve done.
“There’s a lot at stake here. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long, long time.”
