Trevor McCumby believes that former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant has let money go to his head, affecting his performance and making him believe he’s better than he truly is. McCumby will be fighting Plant for the WBA interim 168-lb title on September 14th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

While Plant is aiming for another shot at Canelo, even capturing the WBA interim title may not guarantee him a rematch anytime soon, as Canelo is preoccupied with defending his titles against Edgar Berlanga on the same night. Moreover, there’s little demand for a rematch between Plant and Canelo, and unless Plant takes on higher-caliber opponents like Christian Mbilli or Diego Pacheco, it’s unclear whether a rematch would even generate interest.

McCumby has been critical of Plant’s career trajectory, pointing out that Plant hasn’t won a fight in two years, his last victory being against the 38-year-old Anthony Dirrell. McCumby questioned the significance of that win, stating that Plant has been boasting about defeating an aging fighter rather than focusing on building a stronger résumé. Other recent victories for Plant, like those over Caleb Truax and Vincent Feigenbutz, have also failed to impress McCumby, who suggests that Plant’s career has stagnated.

Plant’s 2021 fight against Canelo, while financially rewarding, was seen by some as a mismatch, with McCumby suggesting that Plant’s achievements haven’t matched the hype surrounding him. McCumby also noted how Plant often seems to find himself in conflicts with other fighters, which might detract from his focus in the ring. He referred to Plant’s altercations with Jermall Charlo and Canelo as examples of the emotional behavior he believes is holding Plant back.

Despite these distractions, McCumby remains focused on the upcoming fight and expressed confidence in his ability to defeat Plant. He dismissed Plant’s altercations and outside-the-ring issues as irrelevant to their bout and pledged to take Plant’s heart in the ring. McCumby’s belief that Plant is more focused on his image and past achievements may fuel his determination to prove himself as the better fighter.

Read more about Plant and McCumby by clicking here.

Image Credit: ESPN