By Elliot Raines: Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo are in talks for a 2026 fight at super middleweight.
Two Years After the Clap
It’s a fight that’s been brewing for two years since former IBF 168-lb champion ‘Sweethands’ Plant (23-3, 14 KOs) slapped Charlo across the face at the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford weigh-in on July 28, 2023.
Brunch Box broke the news today about the Plant vs. Charlo bookings for the first half of 2026.
Fans scoff at $80 PPV price
Social media users are predicting that PBC will price the Plant-Charlo fight against $80 on PPVwhich would be insanely high for a fight past its due date. It is now considered an old-fashioned fight. Jermall is 35 and has only fought twice since 2021.
Charlo’s career drive since 2021
Charlo has been out of serious contention for too long to fight on PPV against a fighter like Plant, who is coming off a 12-round split decision loss to Jose Armando Resendiz on May 31, 2025. It was Plant’s third loss in his last five fights, dating back to 2021. With a 2-3 record on CalebPV, fighting PPV is silly.
Both men are fighting for relevance
Plant’s only two wins since 2021 have come against 38-year-old Anthony Dirrell and little-known fringe contender Trevor McCumby.
The battle between the two former world champions comes at the right time for them, as neither has done anything meaningful for years. They are considered washed up by many boxing fans, none of whom at 168 are considered relevant.
Jermall (34-0, 23 KOs) used to be one of the top fighters at 160, but let his career slip away after defeating Juan Macias Montiel via a tougher-than-expected 12-round unanimous decision on June 19, 2021.
Interestingly, the WBC allowed Charlo to sit on his WBC title and not defend it for over 1,000 days before finally stripping him of the belt on May 8, 2024.
Too late or just in time?
Older boxing fans will still be interested in seeing Charlo and Plant fight. They will still be motivated to pay to watch these two waning champions, but not the younger ones. It’s too late in the game. The lack of wins on Plant’s part and Charlo’s inactivity make this fight one that fans will likely skip.
Plant, 33, should aim higher up the tree for top fighters, such as one of these:
- Lester Martinez
- Christian Mbilli
- Olsleys Iglesias
- Hamzah Sheeraz
- Diego Pacheco
At least if Plant got lucky and beat one of them, he would be in a position to fight undisputed super middleweight champion Terence Crawford or Canelo Alvarez. Of course, if these fighters beat Plant, he would be right back where he started and could forget about fighting Crawford or Canelo.
Elliot Raines has been covering British and European boxing since 2010. Known for his sharp pen and low tolerance for hype, Raines analyzes the sport’s politics, promoters and paper champions with dry precision.
Last updated on 11/07/2025
