NASHVILLE—The timing of Wednesday’s press conference to announce a homecoming title defense for Caleb Plant was interesting for a number of reasons.
The presser served to formally announce Plant’s mandatory title defense versus Germany’s Vincent Feigenbutz (31-2, 28KOs), which takes place February 15 live on Fox from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with the venue hosting the session on Wednesday. It comes two days after the fighting pride of Ashland City, Tennessee celebrated his one-year anniversary as a super middleweight titlist.
“It meant everything to be able to bring home a world championship last year,” Plant (19-0, 11KOs) told BoxingScene.com. “And it means so much to be able to come home and defend this beautiful title, here in my hometown for the first time in my career.”
In outpointing Jose Uzcategui last January, Plant didn’t just become the first-ever homegrown fighter from the greater Nashville area to claim a major title but also the pro championship in town. The anniversary also comes at a time when the biggest pro sports franchise in town—the NFL’s Tennessee Titans—look to score its third straight playoff upset, as a win over the Kansas City Chiefs will put them in the Super Bowl for the first time in exactly 20 years.
The last trip came during the Titans’ first year in Nashville, transitioning from Houston where they were known for decades as the Houston Oilers. The move left them homeless—and virtually nameless—for two years before finally making their way to downtown Nashville. The first year in Music City saw the newly named Titans run up a 13-3 regular season mark and serving as the only team to beat the AFC #1 seed Jacksonville Jaguars—doing so three times, including a 33-14 route in the AFC Championships to storm into the Super Bowl.
The postseason run began with the famous “Music City Miracle”, with Kevin Dyson fielding a lateral pitch from Frank Wycheck on a kickoff return, racing 75 years down the sideline to score the game-winning touchdown versus the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round. The season would produce the most bitter of endings, with Dyson’s outstretched arm falling just shy of the goal line as time expired in a Super Bowl XXXIV 23-16 loss to the St. Louis Rams.
Now 20 years later, the “one yard short” metaphor continues to describe the Titans’ legacy with that anniversary coming up on January 30. By then, the hope is for the team to have landed in Miami, which plays host to Super LIV.
Of course, even that shouldn’t be the end game for the Titans. Nor is it simply good enough for the NHL’s Nashville Predators—the main occupants of Bridgestone Arena—to have made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017, losing in the 6th game of their best-of-seven series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
If anything has come of Plant’s first full year as an undefeated super middleweight titlist, it’s his desire to inspire others to always do better.
“When I come back here next month, I don’t want to be the only champion in Nashville,” insists Plant. “The Titans are doing their thing, but they need to beat the Chiefs and then whoever comes out of the NFC and win the whole thing. And after I beat Feigenbutz on February 15, the next time I come back to town to defend my title—hopefully titles by then—I want to do it celebrating the Predators winning the Stanley Cup this year.
“It’s such a great time for sports here in Nashville, but it’s time to bring home all the championships. I’m gonna keep doing my part and I look forward to the Titans and the Predators raising their game as well. Nashville, stand up!”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox