Boxing fans can complain about a lot of things but David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant is the sport at its best

LAS VEGAS – There are many times where boxing has gotten it wrong. When fights that fans want don’t happen for one reason or another, it’s easy to dismiss the sport as something that’s ‘dying’. However, when boxing gets it right and you have real stakes fights like David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant, we are reminded of just how special this sport can be.

There might not be a major world title at stake – the fight is for the interim WBC super middleweight championship – but bad blood between two fighters with vastly different styles and cultural backgrounds is a recipe for a fantastic fight. And if you call yourself a boxing fan, you’ll be tuning in as the two go head-to-head on Saturday via Showtime PPV.

MORE: Everything you need to know about David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant

Caleb Plant (23-1, 13 KOs) is the white kid from Ashland City, TN who grew up with the deck stacked against him. He spent his formative years in the impoverished confines of a small town ravaged by drugs and parents suffering from alcohol and drug abuse, and he wasn’t expected to make it. However, he took up boxing and never looked back, constantly defying the odds of being an underdog in a minority-dominated sport.

David Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) is the Mexican fighter from Phoenix, AZ who grew up boxing and trained with the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Gabriel Rosado before he was old enough to Driving but struggling with him had overeating and bloated up to 250 pounds. His older brother Jose was destined to be a superstar, but David managed his weight, embraced the sport, and became world champion…twice. But weight management and cocaine use cost him his world title and forced him to grow up.

Culturally they are worlds apart and stylistically they couldn’t be more different as fighters. Plant is a skilled technician who outwits his opponents with speed and skill, while Benavidez is a high-octane pressure fighter who breaks the wills of his rivals by being an obscene punching machine.

They are a combined 48-1 with 36 knockouts. Plant’s loss came against one of the greatest fighters of this generation in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, a fighter like Benavidez that Benavidez couldn’t even come close to matching.

Oh, was it mentioned that these two despise each other?

Before either fighter was considered a pay-per-view attraction, they were on each other’s necks. They knew that one day they would clash and it was only a matter of time.

MORE: The Sporting News super middleweight boxing rankings

This is beef that has been marinated for several years, hurling just about every expletive you can think of and every physical threat you can think of. One might think that there was nothing more to say to them at the final press conference on Thursday before their duel.

And for a minute it seemed so.

“That’s all there is to say,” Plant said as he stepped onto the podium. Feeling Benavidez’s steely gaze pierce his skin, the former IBF champion paused for a moment and verbally attacked his rival again.

“You’ve got your newfound muscle that you’ve been showing off all week,” Plant said. “Welcome to the club. I don’t need the right opponent in front of me to work hard. I was so disciplined and I walked the straight line. I’ve been doing this since I was a little kid.”

Plant took another stand on the fact that Benavidez lost his WBC title on the scales and through drug use. If 30-year-old Plant is nothing else, he is disciplined. He refuses to travel with a large entourage, take a diet break, or do anything that might jeopardize a fight. And he knew how much that bothered Benavidez.

Unlike the last press conference, when Benavidez immediately erupted in a verbal tirade, “The Mexican Monster” sat still and awaited his turn.

“You’ve got a real one coming up on Saturday,” Plant continued. “I’m not a pompous middleweight, I’m the real deal. You’ll see.”

Plant returned to his seat knowing that when it was his turn to speak, Benavidez would aim at him.

“I saw Caleb Plant do that digging gesture, but he didn’t realize he was just digging his own grave,” Benavidez retorted. “We’ll see what the chin looks like Saturday night.”

More back and forth ensued and an intense stare down ensued where the two fighters had to be separated. It was to be expected as the tension will remain strong until they meet in the square circle.

This is what fight fans should want. When two fighters genuinely dislike each other and are so different in almost every aspect of their lives, that makes good television. Their boxing styles are like peanut butter and jelly, where together they make for a delicious treat. It’s one of those fights where fans get goosebumps seconds before the first chime because of the anticipation.

Two fighters who don’t rely on the other to sell the fight. Both are charismatic in their own way. Both have much to gain and even more to lose. Plant cannot suffer another loss at this stage in his career or he will fall to the back of the line for a championship opportunity, while Benavidez could end up being deemed overrated despite his attempts to usurp Canelo Alvarez to be Mexico’s tallest Star.

The future is at stake, but all any fighter can think about is the present.

“The winner of this fight is at the top. Canelo has that spot at the moment and I’m super motivated for this fight so I can eventually rectify that mistake,” Plant said. “First I’ll take care of business on Saturday night.”

They might not agree on a lot, but it’s just a matter of focusing on what’s ahead and not what the future holds.

“The winner is in a position right there to contend for all the belts,” Benavidez said. “But I’m not worried about anything other than this fight. I have to win this fight before I can get where I want to be.”