Canelo Alvarez insists Caleb Plant ‘better have a good chin’ after ‘crossing the line’

The build up to the fight has turned personal between the boxers

Canelo Alvarez says Caleb Plant will need a “good chin” on fight night as the rivals’ bout on 6 November has become personal.

Trash talk triggered an altercation at their press conference as Alvarez pushed Plant and punches were thrown after Plant called him a “m**********r”. Alvarez was also labelled a “drugs cheat” by his opponent.

The incident meant Plant “crossed a line”, according to Alvarez.

The Mexican has now said: “I hope he has a good chin because he’s going to need it on fight night. I’m always ready. I just can’t wait. I feel strong and fast.

“With all of the talk, it’s become personal. He crossed a line. But I have to remain focused, because this is a very important fight for me.

“Caleb has good boxing skills. He has good movement and a good jab. But it’s nothing new for me. I know what I need to do. I need to be patient in the early rounds and then start doing my job.

“Even harder than getting to the top is staying there. That’s why I try to get better each and every day. That’s what I’ve been trying to do from my first fight up until now.

“I’m 100 per cent focused on this fight. There’s nothing else crossing my mind. After it’s over, we’ll figure out who the next opponent will be.”

Alvarez, who has only suffered one defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather, added he is still pursuing undisputed status.

“[That] is huge for my legacy. Not only would it be an honour to be the first Latin American fighter to do it, but there’s only a select club of fighters who have achieved this. Eddy [Reynoso, Canelo’s trainer and manager] and I said in the beginning that the goal was to be undisputed, and now we’re one fight away.

“Everyone knows what I’m going to do in the ring. When something is personal with me, it’s different. I have something special in my mind and I’m going to make it a great night for us.

“The pandemic made me have to slow down for about a year, so I’m thankful that I’ve been active since then. Things are going fast now, and I love it. I’m thankful to be in this position.”