Canelo Alvarez is left without an opponent for his fight on September 18. This happened after negotiations with the IBF 168lb champion Caleb Plant fell through because of the $40M guarantee the Mexican star wanted in case "Sweet Hands" could not fight due to any injury/illness. This news, of course, disappointed fans of sports betting at GG.BET as it could be an exciting fight.
Mike Coppinger reported that Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) would not agree to Canelo's $40M guarantee. That meant he would get that amount even if Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) did not fight due to injury or illness. It's clear why PBC won't agree to pay Canelo $40M if he has to look for a replacement. However, from Canelo's perspective, he had no intention of risking Plant having to pull out of the fight due to injury.
The $40 million, which Canelo still insisted on in case of a replacement, was a way for him to make sure he got top dollars if Plant couldn't fight. It makes sense for Canelo. Some might call this a kind of insurance for Canelo. If he ends up fighting a PBC replacement opponent, he will receive the same $40M.
Plant did not like the way Canelo's request sounded, but the Mexican star did not want to risk. Due to problems with a Plant's hand injury, it is unknown if he will be able to make it through training camp without postponing the fight. If Plant pulled out of the fight, Canelo would need a replacement. Would this replacement come from PBC? If that is the case, Canelo would essentially be making a deal for two fights because later he would still face Plant.
If Canelo's fight takes place on PBC against one of their fighters, such as David Benavidez, he will still have to face Plant later to get his belt. So, instead of one fight, Canelo would potentially fight twice on PBC.
Why PBC balked
That would be too much for the PBC because they get Canelo for two fights instead of the initially planned one. And who knows how much he will be paid in such a replacement case. It is unlikely that Canelo would have received anything close to the $40M he negotiated for the fight against Plant.
The loser in all of this is Plant, who would have received an excellent fee of $10M. However, even if Plant lost the fight, his value would increase if he performed well.
It will be painful for Plant to lose a considerable amount, especially if Canelo never returns to the fight. As for Canelo, he may decide to ignore Plant after this episode and continue his career. Indeed, it would be surprising if Canelo decided to fight Plant again.
Plant will eventually lose his title once the International Boxing Federation obliges him to defend against David Benavidez or if he faces Jermall Charlo. These are Plant's best chances for a big pay, but he won't get that kind of money fighting them as he would have against Canelo.
