It wasn't exactly Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. It may not have been Andy Ruiz shocking Anthony Joshua. But Caleb Plant coming up short on a split decision to the feisty but unknown Armando Resendiz was a balm for anyone who roots for an upset
It was the ages old story of a younger, less-experienced fighter simply wanting it more. Though Plant will hardly be remembered as the greatest super middleweight of this era, he is certainly a skilled fighter who was penciled in to beat Resendiz and go on to a bigger payday with Jermall Charlo later this year. In fact, for the first few rounds it appeared Plant was following the storyline, though Resendiz rocked him in the third and again in the fifth. By then, the tide of the fight was turning and Plant could do nothing about it.
When it was over, Plant was philosophical. "I felt it was a close fight," he said, "and in close fights, sometimes it swings the other way."
To his credit, Plant didn't complain about the decision, though he stopped short of overpraising his young conqueror."I felt like I did good. I was patient. I wasn't the better man tonight, I guess."
Two judges scored the contest for Resendiz 116-12, while the third called it for Plant, 115-113.
"I felt like a had enough control, using my jab," Plant said. "The judges saw it the other way. What can you do?"
There was no squawking from Plant's camp, and no one in the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas doubted the scoring. All it took was one look at Plant's bruised face and torso, and you knew who the loser was. The winner was unmarked.
Resendiz, a 25-1 betting underdog, fought with a sort of controlled fury from the sixth round on, throwing hard shots with both hands. Using short, crunching hooks and a murderous body attack, he dominated Plant. It was as if Resendiz decided at some point that this was his night. Once that decision was made, Plant was doomed.
As if to punctuate his performance, Resendiz opened a cut over Plant's right eye in the later rounds, adding some blood to the dramatic story that was unfolding. Though Plant's corner implored him to finish strong, it appeared Plant was simply overwhelmed, unable to stop his rival's attack.
Realizing the fight was his for the taking, and sensing Plant was done, Resendiz took command in the closing rounds with power shot after power shot. Resendiz, whose record is now 16-2 with 11 KOs, was all energy and enthusiasm. Sometimes that's all you need.
"I knew everybody was going to be against me," Resendiz said through an interpreter. "On paper, of course, it was like that. But I believed in myself and my corner believed in me."
Whether 26-year-old Resendiz can build upon the WBA interim belt he won last night is unknown, though there is talk that he may end up fighting Charlo in Plant's place. Charlo is a notch above Plant, and Resendiz will have to be even better if he hopes to contend with the undefeated two-division titlist. Charlo scored an easy TKO win over Thomas LaManna in last night's co-feature, but as good as Charlo looked, all anyone could talk about was Resendez' impeccable performance.
It has been a month of upsets, with Ryan Garcia losing a few weeks ago in New York, but Resendez' win over Plant may be the upset of the year. The Mexican native who now lives in South Gate California had lost two of his last five fights, and wasn't expected to be anything more than a tune-up for 32-year-old Plant, whose record now stands at 23-3.
The problem with Cinderella stories is that midnight always comes too soon. All of boxing's Cinderella men eventually turn back into pumpkins, from Jim Braddock to Buster Douglas to Andy Ruiz. Watching Resendiz' magnificent win put me in mind of another young Mexican underdog from many years ago, Stevie Cruz, who scored an even bigger upset over the celebrated featherweight champion, Barry McGuigan, in a Las Vegas ring. In 100 degree heat, Cruz, a plumber's assistant, dropped the Irishman three times in the final round to take the title on points. It was a stunner, and though McGuigan was a likable fighter, there was something magical about seeing the unknown youngster beat him. Perhaps we like underdogs because we all feel like underdogs. Cruz lost the title soon after and is forgotten to history, but for those who saw him win that night, he thrilled us. Part of the fascination with upsets is the mystery of them. What sort of lightning hit Cruz to fire him up that night long ago? And what, for that matter, fired up Resendiz?
"I left it all to God," Resendiz said after the bout. "I didn't worry at all."
Perhaps Resendiz, who goes by the nickname "Toro," can keep the fairy tale going a while. In the meantime, boxing fans can revel in what they saw Saturday night. Cinderella stories never end well, but they serve a purpose. They prove that the unexpected can happen, even for those of us facing impossible odds.
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Don Stradley is the author of The War: Hagler, Hearns, and Three Rounds for The Ages, plus the soon to be released, The Immortals of American Boxing. He writes regularly for The Ring.
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