On May 31 (Japan time: June 1), the main event of the Premier Boxing Champions card was held at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The bout featured a WBA Interim Super Middleweight World Title match, in which reigning champion Caleb Plant (USA, 23 wins, 14 KOs, 2 losses) faced WBA No. 15 ranked contender José Armando Reséndiz (Mexico, 15 wins, 11 KOs, 2 losses). Reséndiz claimed victory by decision.
Plant, who became the interim champion eight months ago, was making his first title defense. Entering the ring as the overwhelming favorite, he looked sharp only in the early rounds. In the sixth round, he was staggered by Reséndiz’s punches, and in the latter half of the fight, Plant appeared drained and continued to lose points as the rounds progressed.
The official scorecards read Max DeLuca (USA) 116–112 and Steve Weisfeld (USA) 116–112 for Reséndiz, while David Sutherland (USA) had it 115–113 for Plant, resulting in a split decision. However, Reséndiz’s victory appeared clear to most observers, and Sutherland’s scoring has drawn considerable criticism.
On September 30, 2023 (Japan time: October 1), José Armando Reséndiz fought Elijah Garcia (USA, 17 wins, 13 KOs, 1 loss) in a 10-round WBA middleweight title eliminator at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite a strong showing, Reséndiz suffered an 8th-round TKO loss.
After a period of inactivity, Reséndiz returned to the ring on February 21 of this year (Japan time: February 22) in Guadalajara, Mexico. In a six-round bout, he scored a fifth-round TKO victory over 37-year-old Fernando Paliza (Mexico, 5 wins, all by KO, 3 losses). With only that win under his belt in the lead-up, most considered Reséndiz an underdog—yet he pulled off a major upset and celebrated the victory with great joy.
The newly crowned 26-year-old interim champion said, “I’m ready for whatever comes next,” expressing both happiness and determination for the future. Meanwhile, a disappointed Caleb Plant, shocked by the loss, stated, “I’ll need to take some time to consider things, but I will definitely be back,” suggesting a potential comeback.
In the co-main event, former two-division world champion Jermall Charlo (USA, 33 wins, 22 KOs, undefeated) made his long-awaited return after approximately 18 months. Facing former world title challenger Thomas LaManna (USA, 39 wins, 18 KOs, 5 losses, 1 draw) in a 10-round bout for the vacant WBA Continental Americas Super Middleweight title, Charlo secured a TKO victory just one second into the sixth round.
Although Charlo appeared a bit stiff at the start, he quickly took control by scoring three knockdowns in rounds three, four, and five, completely overwhelming LaManna. By the end of the fifth round, LaManna had sustained significant damage. At the beginning of the sixth round, he underwent a doctor’s check, and referee Mark Nelson (USA), following the doctor’s recommendation, stopped the fight.
Following his victory, Charlo had expressed eagerness and confidence about facing Caleb Plant. However, in the subsequent main event, Plant suffered a shocking defeat and lost his interim title.
Had both Charlo and Plant won that night, a showdown between the two later this year was considered a foregone conclusion. But with Plant’s unexpected loss, Charlo was left visibly disappointed, as if the opportunity had been pulled out from under him. A bout between Charlo and Reséndiz will likely be considered in the near future.
There might be some action or response regarding Sutherland’s scoring.
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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