A Closer Look at Jordan Plant, One-Half of Boxing’s ‘Power Couple’

Published

5 months ago

September 2, 2024

A-Closer-Look-at-Jordan-Plant-One-Jalf-of-Boxing's-Power-Couple

Caleb Plant returns to the ring on Sept. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Plant, a former 168-pound world title-holder whose only two losses came against the top dogs in the division – Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez – hopes to get back in the title hunt at the expense of undefeated (28-0, 21 KOs) Trevor McCumby. Plant vs. McCumby will air on Amazon Prime Video PPV with Alvarez defending his WBC and WBO straps against Edgar Berlanga in the featured bout.

From the opening bell, Plant vs. McCumby will grip the undivided attention of the former Jordan Hardy who now goes by Jordan Plant. She and Caleb will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary on Oct. 5.

Boxing fans know Jordan Plant as the roving reporter on PBC telecasts. She also hosts shoulder programming for PBC events and has a conspicuous role in pre-fight confabs for the media. However, although she will definitely be there on Sept. 14, you won’t see her – at least not with a microphone in her hand — if you happen to tune in as she doesn’t work cards on which her husband appears.

The boxing literature is almost totally bereft of non-fiction stories where the central character is not the boxer but, rather, the special woman in his life. A rare exception is a 1949 story by the great W.C. Heinz for Cosmopolitan that would find its way into several anthologies.

Heinz shadowed the wife of Rocky Graziano on the night that Rocky fought Charley Fusari at New York’s Polo Grounds.

Mrs. Graziano, the former Norma Unger, attended her husband’s fights as he was climbing the ladder, but quickly lost her stomach for it and would wait for him outside the club. When Rocky fought Bummy Davis in a ballyhooed match at the Garden, she went to the movies.

On the night that Heinz was there, she coped with her nervousness by chain-smoking more than usual as she ironed some laundry and then by taking a walk outside, leaving the house with her mother and a friend as the bout was about to start. But she couldn’t escape the fight entirely because it was on the radio and as she walked around her New York neighborhood, a neighborhood of multi-family homes, the muffled sounds of it floated down from open windows. It seems as if everyone in the neighborhood knew her. “Rocky is winning,” some called out to her to allay her fears. (For the record, Graziano was trailing on all three cards when he knocked out Fusari in the 10^th and final round.)

Looking back at the Heinz piece through the prism of history, one is struck by how little we learn about Mrs. Rocky Graziano. She was then 23 years old, had been married six years, and she and Rocky shared two young daughters, ages five and two. Beyond that she was simply a housewife, a woman seemingly without an identity apart from her husband.

Jordan Plant is a different cat in a different era. Born on July 19, 1992, she grew up in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville, California. One of four sisters, all of whom played sports (her sister Hannah was a heptathlete at Samford University in Alabama), Jordan starred on the women’s track team at her high school, earning a full ride to UNLV after a year at a NorCal junior college. Her specialty was the hurdles and her position coach at UNLV was Larry Wade. A world class hurdler on the international stage during his days as a competitor, Wade would become an in-demand strength and conditioning coach within the boxing community. He’s worked with Jordan’s husband (small world), but hasn’t been around for this camp, having accepted an offer from Jake Paul to work with him exclusively.

At UNLV, Jordan majored in broadcast journalism. She credits Sage Steele, the former host of ESPN’s flagship SportsCenter, for nudging her on to this career path.

“When I first saw Sage Steele on TV, there was a lot less diversity in sports broadcasting,” notes Jordan. “Here was a woman who looked a little like me, a woman I could identify with. I thought to myself, hmmm, perhaps there’s room for me in this industry too. And what’s interesting is that we have become good friends; we keep in touch. We have a lot in common.” (Indeed. Sage Steele’s father Gary Steele, who held the rank of colonel when he retired after 23 years in the Army, was an outstanding tight end at West Point. Jordan Plant’s father Eugene Hardy, who is retired from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office where he was a detective assigned to the gang unit, was a cornerback and kick returner at the University of Arizona.)

One day when she was at UNLV, a professor told her that there was this upstart company, Premier Boxing Champions, that had an opening for an intern. Jordan auditioned and was hired. In May of 2015, she was bumped up to a full-fledged employee. When she married Caleb Plant, she transitioned away from Jordan Hardy. Asked why she didn’t choose to keep her maiden name, she replied, “Perhaps if I had been more established, I would have kept it, but I was cool with becoming Jordan Plant. I’m proud to say he’s my husband.”

Perhaps one reason that so little has been written about boxers’ wives is that many don’t stick around. Jake LaMotta was married seven times, one more than Willie Pep. (Referencing the first five, Pep said, “they were all good housekeepers; when they divorced me, they kept the house.”)

Jordan Plant has a theory about the turnover. “A boxer is a modern-day gladiator,” she says. “To be a good boxing wife, you have to understand that a fighter has to be selfish. When it’s fight week, I let Caleb focus on boxing, I don’t even let him take out the trash. I am not going to be a distraction.”

That may be so, but one would be hard-pressed to name a boxer’s wife who is more immersed in her husband’s career. Jordan coordinates things when Caleb is in camp. Among other things, she makes sure his sparring partners arrive to the gym on time and get paid. “I have scored some of his sparring rounds,” she says. “Caleb appreciates the feedback.”

Besides being a TV personality and a housewife, Jordan has found time to compete in two powerlifting events and in October will launch her clothing line, JP Athletics. She’s also a mother, “a full-time mom” she emphasizes. She and Caleb welcomed a daughter into their life in August of 2022. Her name is Charly.

What if Charly showed an interest in becoming a boxer? Would her parents be okay with it? “We have talked about that,” says Jordan. “Because she’s growing up around the sport, it wouldn’t be surprising if she took it up. It’s a hard way to make a living so we certainly wouldn’t encourage it, but we would have her back if she persisted.”

When Caleb is in the heat of battle, Jordan sends him good vibes by way of mental telepathy. And when he takes a hard punch, does she feel it too?

When we broached this question to her, she didn’t think it was stupid at all and, if Norma Graziano were around today, she would have likely reacted the same way. There’s a kinship there, no matter how different their day-to-day lives.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Arne K. Lang

Up Next

The ‘Monster’ Keeps on Trucking: Inoue Stops Doheny in the 7th Round

Don't Miss

Results and Recaps from LA where Pacheco KOed Sulecki with a Body Punch

Bakhodir Jalolov Returns on Thursday in Another Disgraceful Mismatch

Published

7 hours ago

February 4, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Bakhodir-Jalolov-Returns-on-Thursday-in-Another-Disgraceful-Mismatch

How good is Bakhodir Jalolov? Some would argue that in terms of pure talent, the six-foot-seven southpaw from Uzbekistan who has knocked out all 14 of his opponents since turning pro, is better than any heavyweight you can name. Others say that this can’t possibly be true or his braintrust wouldn’t keep feeding him junk food. Jalolov has been brought along as gingerly as Christopher Lovejoy who was exposed as a fraud after running up a skein of 19 straight fast knockouts,

One thing that’s indisputable is that Jalolov was one of the best amateurs to come down the pike in recent memory. A three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist, Jalolov won 58 of his last 59 amateur bouts. The exception was a match in which he did not compete which translated into a win by walkover for his opponent, countryman Lazizbek Mullojonov.

The circumstances are vague. Was Jalolov a no-show because of an injury or illness or a technicality? Amateur boxing, save in a few places or in an Olympic year, is the quintessential niche sport. The mainstream media does not cover it.

What we do know, thanks to boxrec, is that Jalolov caught up with Mullojonov in May of last year in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk and won a split decision. And Mollojonov was no slouch. He too won a gold medal at the Paris Games, winning the heavyweight division to give the powerful Uzbekistan contingent the championship in the two heaviest weight classes.

Jalolov, whose late father was a champion free-style wrestler, has answered the bell as a pro for only 35 rounds. The Belgian-Congolese campaigner Jack Mulowayi came closest to taking the big Uzbek the distance, lasting into the eighth round of an 8-round fight. But when Jalolov closed the show, he did it with a highlight reel knockout, knocking Mulowayi into dreamland with a vicious left hook.

The KO was reminiscent of Jalolov’s most talked-about win as an amateur, his first-round blast-out of Richard Torrez Jr at a tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia, in 2019. Torrez, knocked out cold with a left hook, left the ring on a stretcher and was removed to a hospital for evaluation.

This was the first AIBA-sanctioned international tournament in which pros were allowed to compete and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman was incensed, calling the match-up “criminal” in a tweet that was widely circulated. (Jalolov then had six pro fights under his belt.) They would meet again in the finals of the Tokyo Olympiad with the Uzbek winning a unanimous decision.

Perhaps there will be a third meeting down the road. When Jared Anderson was roughed-up and stopped by Martin Bakole, Torrez Jr (currently 12-0, 11 KOs) vaulted ahead of him on the list of the top home-grown American heavyweights. But Torrez Jr, a short-armed heavyweight who overcomes his physical limitations with a windmill offense, would be a heavy underdog should they ever meet again.

Bakhodir Jalolov’s last bout before heading off to Paris was against the obscure South African Chris Thompson. His match on Thursday at the Montreal Casino in Montreal pits him against an obscure 33-year-old Frenchman, David Spilmont.

Spilmont’s last two opponents were the same guy, an undersized Lithuanian slug who has lost 36 of his 41 documented fights. It seems almost inevitable that Spilmont will suffer the same fate as Thompson who was KOed in the first round.

There’s talk that Jalolov doesn’t really care how far he advances at the professional level; that he has his sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles where he would have an opportunity to become only the fourth boxer to win three Olympic gold medals, joining the immortal Teofilo Stevenson, Hungarian legend Laszlo Papp, and Cuban standout Felix Savon. Were he to accomplish the hat trick, they would build monuments to him in Uzbekistan. But, if that is his mindset, he’s skating on thin ice. There’s no guarantee that boxing will be on the docket at the Los Angeles Games and, if so, the powers-that-be may choose to roll back the calendar to the days when the competition was off-limits to anyone with professional experience.

While it’s true that Jalolov needs to work off some rust, a pox on promoter Camille Estephan and his enabler, the Quebec Boxing Commission, for not dredging up a more credible opponent than the grossly overmatched David Spilmont.

—

Jalolov vs. Spilmont is ostensibly the co-feature. The main event is a 10-round junior welterweight clash between Movladdin “Arthur” Biyarslanov (17-0, 14 KOs) and Spilmont stablemate Mohamed Mimoune (24-6, 5 KOs). Undefeated light heavyweights Albert Ramirez and Mehmet Unal will appear in separate bouts on the undercard. The Feb. 6 event, currently consisting of seven bouts, will air in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Claressa Shields Powers to Undisputed Heavyweight Championship

Published

2 days ago

February 2, 2025

David A. Avila

Claressa-Shields-Powers-to-Undisputed-Heavyweight-Championship

Claressa Shields blasted her way to the undisputed heavyweight championship and nearly knocked out challenger Danielle Perkins in the final seconds, but settled for a win by unanimous decision on Sunday.

Yes, she can punch.

“I just feel overwhelmed and so happy.” Shields said.

Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) proved that even the super athletic Perkins (5-1, 2 KOs), a true heavyweight, could not stop her from becoming an undisputed world champion in a third weight division at Dort Arena in Flint, Michigan, her home town.

In the opening round it was easy to see the size difference. Shields calmly measured Perkins long right jabs then countered with rocket rights through the guard. The speed was evident in Shield’s punches. Perkins used jabs to work her way in but was caught with counters.

“That girl was strong as hell,” said Shields describing Perkins.

Perkins, a southpaw, was somewhat confident that she was the stronger puncher and the stronger fighter overall. But when Shields connected with 10 rocket overhand rights in the third round the power moved Perkins several feet backward.

Suddenly, Perkins realized that indeed Shields has power.

Perkins became more cautious with her approaches. Though the true heavyweight was not frozen in fear, she was wary about getting caught flush with Shields rights. But bullet jabs and lightning combinations still rained on Perkins.

Finding a way to nullify Shields speed was crucial for Perkins.

The former basketball player Perkins continually proved her athleticism with agile moves here and there, but Shields just was superior in every way.

When Perkins became focused too much on the right, a Shields left hook caught the New York native flush. Suddenly there was another Shields weapon to worry about.

Many critics of Shields had focused on her lack of knockouts. But in her previous fight against another heavyweight, the two-time Olympic gold medalist surprised Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse with knockout power. It’s the same power Shields showed Perkins as if firing a fast ball by powering her right with leverage by using her left leg to produce momentum and an explosive punch.

In the 10^th and final round Shields and Perkins exchanged blows. Perkins was looking to connect with one of her power shots when suddenly Shields countered with a perfectly timed right to the chin and down went Perkins with about 10 seconds remaining. She beat the count to finish the round.

“I showed I was the bigger puncher and better boxer,” said Shields. “I knew I could do it because I’m really strong at heavyweight.”

All three judges favored Shields 100-89, 99-90 and 97-92.

It was another convincing performance by Shields. So what is next for the best female fighter pound for pound?

“I want to fight Franchon Crews, Hanna Gabriels,” said Shields also naming a few others. “Flint, (Michigan) I love you all so much.”

Other Bouts

A heavyweight clash saw why there is a rule against holding. Brandon Moore (17-1) and Skylar Lacy (8-1-2) punched and held throughout their eight rounds. Referee Steve Willis finally disqualified Lacy when he tackled Moore and took him through the ropes and on to table below.

No, holding and clinching is not part of the fight game. Now you know why.

Moore was ruled the winner by disqualification due to unsportsmanlike conduct by Lacy at 1:35 of the eighth. No need to describe the fight.

A battle between undefeated welterweights saw Joseph Hicks (12-0, 8 KOs) stop Keon Papillon (10-1-1, 7 KOs) at 1:35 of the seventh round. Hicks stunned Papillon at the end of the sixth, then unloaded in the seventh round to force a stoppage.

Joshua Pagan (12-0) out-battled Ronal Ron (16-8) over eight rounds to win the lightweight match by unanimous decision.

Samantha Worthington (11-0) defeated Vaida Masiokaite (10-27-6) by decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight bout.

Featherweight Caroline Veyre (9-1) out-boxed the shorter Carmen Vargas (5-3-1) to win by decision after six rounds.

Super bantamweight Asheleyann Lozada (1-0) won her pro debut by unanimous decision over Denise Moran (3-1) in a four-round fight.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Benavidez Defeats Morrell; Cruz, Fulton, and Ramos also Victorious at Las Vegas

Published

3 days ago

February 2, 2025

David A. Avila

Benavidez-Defeats-Morrell-Cruz-Fulton-and-Ramos-also-Victorious-at-Las-Vegas

David Benavidez showed fans why they call him “El Monstro” as he plowed through Cuba’s heavy-punching David Morrell to retain a number one ranking in the light heavyweight division by unanimous decision on Saturday.

Not even a flash knockdown for Morrell could make a difference.

Phoenix native Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) gave Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) his first loss as a professional in front of more than 15,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. No one needed to hear the judge’s decision.

“I prepared for everything. I know he’s a great fighter,” said Benavidez. “I thought he was going to hit harder, but he didn’t.”

Before the fight, Morrell was almost an even bet according to oddsmakers, but that was not the case once the fight commenced.

Immediately Benavidez pounded the body and exposed the weaknesses of Morrell’s peek-a-boo defense by using his own left glove to push down the Cuban’s guard. Then immediately firing a crushing right to the jaw.

For the first four rounds Benavidez pounded away on the left and right side of Morrell’s body. And when the openings came the uppercuts caught Morrell’s chin. But he absorbed the blows.

Morrell didn’t waver in trying to find a solution. Though Benavidez connected often to the body and head, the Cuban fighter who moved up from super middleweight displayed a very solid chin.

In the fourth round during a furious exchange Morrell beat Benavidez to the punch that stunned him momentarily. But the blow seemed to spark outrage and a storm of blows followed from Benavidez.

It must have seemed like a nightmare for Morrell.

At times the Cuban fighter would connect perfectly with a right hook and pause. Then Benavidez would return fire with massive blows.

The look on Morrell’s face bore traces of disappointment.

As the rounds continued Benavidez became emboldened by his success. Soon the Mexican Monster began launching lead right uppercuts through Morrell’s guard especially in the sixth round.

“He was easier to hit than I expected,” Benavidez said.

During the breaks Morrell’s corner asked him to pressure Benavidez. It was a fruitless suggestion. How do you corner a Monster?

Benavidez continued to stalk Morrell who never stopped swinging but could not seem to hurt the Monster. In the 11^th round Morrell managed to catch Benavidez perfectly with a right hook and down went Benavidez. He immediately got up and the two fighters unloaded on each other. Morrell fired one punch after the bell and was deducted a point by referee Thomas Taylor. That negated the extra point gained from the knockdown.

“I wasn’t really hurt,” said Benavidez. “That bullshit knockdown caught me off-balance.”

The final round saw both resume their efforts to knock the other out. Both showed great chins and the ability to trade. Benavidez was simply better. Even Morrell didn’t wait for the decision to be read as he raised the arm of the Monster at the final bell. All three judges scored in favor of Benavidez 115-111 twice and 118-108.

“He knows this is Monstro’s world. Big shout out for Morrell, he’s a tough fighter,” Benavidez said.

Other Bouts

In a fight dedicated to honor the late Israel Vazquez, the ultimate Aztec warrior, super lightweights Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (27-3-1) and Angel Fierro (23-3-2) battled like demons for 10 nonstop rounds. Cruz was ruled the winner by unanimous decision.

With little resemblance of defense, Cruz and Fierro whacked each other relentlessly with shots that might have stopped a moving car. Cruz was tagged by a right cross on the top of the head that staggered him momentarily. Fierro was driven back four feet by an overhand right to the chin early in the fight.

Both fighters took cruel and unusual punishment and never wavered more than a few seconds. It was brutal war and fans were the winners after 10 rounds of violent and savage action.

All three judges saw Cruz the winner 96-94, 97-93, 98-92.

“I’m so happy I gave the fans a great fight,” Cruz said.

Fulton Wins

Stephen Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) defeated Brandon Figueroa (23-2-1, 19 KOs) again and took the WBC featherweight title by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. He had previously defeated Figueroa in 2021 for the WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles.

Most of the action took place in nose-to-nose fashion where Fulton landed the cleaner shots especially with uppercuts. Figueroa had his moments but was unable to hurt the challenger who lost to Naoya Inoue by knockout 17 months ago.

Fulton landed clean shots but as his record shows he lacks the power with only eight knockouts on his record. But Figueroa was unable to hurt or knock down Fulton. After 12 rounds all three judges saw Fulton win by scores of 116-112 twice and 117-111,

“It feels good. I’m champion again,” said Fulton.

Ramos Wins

Jesus Ramos (22-1, 18 KOs) won by technical knockout over former world champion Jeison Rosario (24-5-2) in the eighth round of a middleweight fight. Both fighters attacked the body but by the sixth round Ramos was the busier fighter and began to dominate the fight. At 2:18 of the eighth round referee Robert Hoyle stopped the fight.

“I like to throw a lot of body punches. It’s kind of my style,” said Ramos.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

Ro comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!