Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant bizarrely engaged in a full-on conversation during the ninth round of their undisputed showdown — but boxing fans were far from impressed with the exchange.
The 31-year-old Mexican superstar stopped the formally undefeated Plant in the 11th round to capture the IBF super-middleweight title in Las Vegas.
Footage has now emerged of Canelo and Plant sharing a casual conversation during the ninth round of their fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday.
Plant can be heard asking the undisputed super-middleweight champ if he rates him and how he respects Canelo’s skills.
Canelo offered brief responses to the 29-year-old American star while neither fighter threw a single punch during the unusual exchange.
However, fans inside the MGM Grand could be heard booing both Plant and Canelo before the pair started throwing punches again.
Posted below is how the exchange between Canelo and Plant went in the ninth round.
Plant: “You’re pretty good.”
Plant: “Am I pretty good?”
Plant: “This is a good fight right here.”
Plant: “I respect your skills.”
Plant: “I’m pretty good for 21-0, huh?”
While some fans seemed to enjoy the exchange, others were quick to slate the “awkward” exchange between Canelo and Plant.
This has gotta be 1 of weirdest convos during a fight ever 😂 Caleb could feel canelo just about to be head and wanted the goat to make him feel good in his death ☠️ hahahahah
— A-Thang (@Aidylocz) November 9, 2021
This literally made me respect both dudes less. Can you imagine Marvelous marvin saying this to anyone?
— Jabroni (@jabronisnotes) November 8, 2021
Plant, who suffered the first professional defeat in his boxing career, took to Twitter after his defeat and claimed that he belongs in the “top level.”
“I’ve bent most [of] the world to my will and done it with nothing but passion and skill. I’ll be back,” he wrote.
I’ve bent most the world to my will and done it with nothing but passion and skill. I’ll be back 💪🏻 I showed I belong on the top level and I’ll be champion of the world again. I’ve never been scared to go big or go out on my shield. Thank you to all the fans and all my supporters pic.twitter.com/bga3PaCnkI
— CalebPlant (@SweetHandsPlant) November 8, 2021
“I showed I belong on the top level and I’ll be champion of the world again. I’ve never been scared to go big or go out on my shield.
“Thank you to all the fans and all my supporters.”
Canelo admitted that the former IBF super-middleweight champ earned his respect and called him a “very difficult fighter.”
Speaking after the fight, he said: “Definitely my respect for Caleb Plant, he’s a very difficult fighter, he had a lot of ability.
“I do respect the fighter. He wanted to still fight me, he wanted to still continue. I told him, ‘There’s no shame, we had a great fight today.’
“He did say sorry, that he didn’t mean it that way. Everything is OK.”