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Boxing has a history of fights that seem like they’ve become even more popular because of racial tensions.
The “Great White Hope” story seems to be cemented deeply in boxing history ever since Jack Johnson became heavyweight champion and there became a need for a great white hope.
Mayweather-McGregor was the latest to play on these themes. It felt like that fight got huge because white supremacists were drawn to boxing to see if their superstar athlete could knock off the biggest African-American athlete in the world.
These days the great white hope is basically Caleb Plant. He is the only white American champion and the only other ranked white American is Joe Smith.
Smith probably fits the “white hope” image better but Plant has the talent, the undefeated record and a title.
That has me thinking that we are going to see a Charlo-Plant matchup soon because it can be built into a super fight due to racial tension.
That potential angle and the fact that it’s really a well paying step up fight for both of them, it would make as a first super fight for both parties.
I don’t see Charlo fighting GGG/SD, Canelo, or Andrade. I don’t think there’s another big fight that makes sense for him in the WBC middleweight rankings. He was gifted the title, why not try to become a three division champion soon?
As for Plant, I don’t see PBC trying to set up a WBC/IBF unification fight for him anytime soon. I don’t see them playing nice with the promoters of the other champions at that weight class. Plant is also never mentioned in the Canelo sweepstakes. Charlo might be the biggest fight out there for him.
So I see Charlo-Plant on PPV coming soon. You might think Charlo can’t be the headliner on a PPV or that Plant can’t be a PPV opponent but it doesn’t matter.
It will sell because of racial tensions. Plant will be the great white hope trying to propel himself into superstardom. The death of his mother and daughter angles will also factor in. The media will have a great time building his name and writing about him.
Charlo will be attempting to become a three division champion, a superstar and end the great white hope narrative that will be built.
This is a fight that looks just above average on paper but it isn’t. The media will eat it up to make money on racism, fans outside of boxing will be drawn to it for that angle and it will end up being a fight of the year type event.
I’ll bump when it’s on the schedule.
The “Great White Hope” story seems to be cemented deeply in boxing history ever since Jack Johnson became heavyweight champion and there became a need for a great white hope.
Mayweather-McGregor was the latest to play on these themes. It felt like that fight got huge because white supremacists were drawn to boxing to see if their superstar athlete could knock off the biggest African-American athlete in the world.
These days the great white hope is basically Caleb Plant. He is the only white American champion and the only other ranked white American is Joe Smith.
Smith probably fits the “white hope” image better but Plant has the talent, the undefeated record and a title.
That has me thinking that we are going to see a Charlo-Plant matchup soon because it can be built into a super fight due to racial tension.
That potential angle and the fact that it’s really a well paying step up fight for both of them, it would make as a first super fight for both parties.
I don’t see Charlo fighting GGG/SD, Canelo, or Andrade. I don’t think there’s another big fight that makes sense for him in the WBC middleweight rankings. He was gifted the title, why not try to become a three division champion soon?
As for Plant, I don’t see PBC trying to set up a WBC/IBF unification fight for him anytime soon. I don’t see them playing nice with the promoters of the other champions at that weight class. Plant is also never mentioned in the Canelo sweepstakes. Charlo might be the biggest fight out there for him.
So I see Charlo-Plant on PPV coming soon. You might think Charlo can’t be the headliner on a PPV or that Plant can’t be a PPV opponent but it doesn’t matter.
It will sell because of racial tensions. Plant will be the great white hope trying to propel himself into superstardom. The death of his mother and daughter angles will also factor in. The media will have a great time building his name and writing about him.
Charlo will be attempting to become a three division champion, a superstar and end the great white hope narrative that will be built.
This is a fight that looks just above average on paper but it isn’t. The media will eat it up to make money on racism, fans outside of boxing will be drawn to it for that angle and it will end up being a fight of the year type event.
I’ll bump when it’s on the schedule.
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