Resendiz Shocks: Defeats Plant in Split Decision, Charlo Waits

Armando Resendiz Shocks Caleb Plant in Las Vegas

Expectations pointed to a stellar showdown between Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo, but Armando Resendiz had other plans. The 26-year-old boxer starred in a surprising victory over Plant at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs) defeated Plant (23-3, 14 KOs), former IBF super middleweight champion, by split decision. Two judges scored it 116-112 in favor of Resendiz, while the third scored it 115-113 in favor of Plant.

This result could change the course of a possible fight between Plant and Charlo (34-0, 22 KOs), who did his part by knocking out Thomas LaManna in the sixth round on Saturday.

I knew everyone would be against me. On paper, of course, it was like that. But I believed in myself and my corner believed in me. I didn’t really worry [about the split decision]. I left it all to God. I didn’t worry at all. I knew it was a tough fight, a great fight.

Armando Resendiz

Plant, whose only two previous losses were against Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, indicated that he believed he had done enough to win, but did not strongly dispute the scores.

Plant stated: “I felt it was close, and in close fights, sometimes the result changes. I felt I had enough control, using my jab. The judges saw it differently. What can you do? I felt I did well. I was patient. I guess I wasn’t the better man tonight.”

Resendiz, from Mexico, proved to be the better boxer in the last six rounds. The first half of the fight was very competitive, with Plant controlling the action with his jab and short hooks. However, Resendiz began to hurt Plant in the final rounds, connecting powerful blows to the body and opening a cut above Plant’s right eye.

The focus could now shift to a fight between Resendiz and Charlo, who hadn’t fought since November 2023. Charlo has only fought twice since the beginning of 2021, but looked exceptional in his debut at 168 pounds on Saturday. He knocked down LaManna in the third and fourth rounds, before a ringside doctor advised the referee to stop the fight in the first second of the sixth round.