LAS VEGAS -- Super middleweight prospect Caleb Plant, with the cool nickname “Sweet Hands,” recently relocated from his home in Nashville to Las Vegas because he could get far superior sparring in preparation for his fights.
Plant’s next fight will take place Feb. 25 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, on the Deontay Wilder-Gerald Washington card. That heavyweight world title fight headlines a Premier Boxing Champions card on Fox in prime time. But once that telecast is over, the action will move to another PBC telecast on Fox Sports 1, where Plant will headline that portion of the card in a 10-rounder against an opponent to be determined and is excited to get the exposure.
"I'm really pumped up to be headlining on Fox Sports 1,” Plant said. “Nashville, Tennessee, my hometown, is only a few hours away from Alabama, so I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of my family and friends in attendance."
The 24-year-old Plant (14-0, 10 KOs) is an intriguing prospect in a good division who could soon make some noise.
Now that Plant is living in Las Vegas, he spent some time at the MGM Grand media center last week during the Leo Santa Cruz-Carl Frampton fight week. Frampton is trained by Shane McGuigan -- the recently named 2016 Boxing Writers Association trainer of the year -- so when he and Frampton came to the United States from the United Kingdom a few weeks ahead of the fight, super middleweight contender George Groves, whom McGuigan also trains, came along so he could get in his work as well.
Groves (25-3, 18 KOs) is a three-time world title challenger with vast experience and is getting ready to face Russia’s Fedor Chudinov (14-1, 10 KOs) this spring (date and location to be determined) for vacant world title.
Plant said he got a chance to spar with Groves while he was in town and said he did very, very well against him.
"Last week I got great work sparring with George Groves when he was in town for the Frampton fight,” Plant said. “He's a class act and I learned a lot from being in the ring with him. I held my own and my confidence is at an all-time high. I know I can compete with anyone in the world. I'm just going to take it one fight at a time. I'll be ready for whoever they put in front of me."
Besides boxing, Plant has thought ahead to life after boxing, where he looks to a possible career as a commentator. He will get the chance on Thursday night (Fox Sports 1, 8 ET) when he works alongside blow-by-blow announcer Brian Custer during the Sammy Vasquez-Luis Collazo PBC card from Tunica, Mississippi.
"My career is headed in the right direction and I'm excited to be commentating on Fox Sports 1," Plant said. “Commentating is something I've always wanted to do. Vasquez and Collazo are two fighters looking to make a statement and I believe it's going to be a great fight for the fans. I have a great team around me and I'm very grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way. I'm going to take full advantage of the situation."
