Boxing and rivalries go hand in hand. Those add charm to a fight, and an intense rivalry when settled in the ring always produces memorable fights. There is another heated rivalry brewing between Edgar Berlanga and Caleb Plant, who are ready to take the super middleweight division by storm. Choice words and verbal sludges have been thrown already. But how did it start? It has something to do with Canelo Alvarez.

Berlanga, 27, disclosed what sparked their rivalry when he sat down in a conversation with Andre Ward. The American boxer was doing a show for the Alvarez vs. Munguia event. After he had shaken the Mexican champion’s hand and was making his way out to his car, the crowd blocked his way, and he was stuck. While Berlanga tried to make his way and figure out a way to navigate his way to the car, he found Plant nudged him with an offer to ‘run it’. But he already had a September fight in the bag.

The New York City native narrated the conversation and said, “I didn’t even see he was right next to me. He just hit like, ‘Yo what’s up? When we going to run it?’ I said, ‘I’m focusing on September right now, I got something right here… I know we going to get this fight in September’.”

However, Plant, 32, persisted with the same question, which annoyed him. Berlanga continued, “He just kept going, going. Pressing me. Bro, we New Yorkers, you know. The way I was growing up, I take that as disrespect. You not going to punk me or something. So, that’s when I got aggressive on him.”

While the 22-0 record holder tried to shake Plant’s hand and show respect, it was futile. Plant didn’t listen to him. That was the last straw for Berlanga. He added, “He just kept going, I was just like, ‘What?’ After this, dude, man, I just started going off on him. And from right there, it was over. I was like, ‘This dude’s no good’.”

Interestingly, the two share a history, and their rivalry had the markings of a conflict when the two sparred with each other at Floyd Mayweather‘s gym about 9 years ago.

When Edgar Berlanga sparred with Caleb Plant at 18

In the same conversation, Berlanga recalled the incident when he had landed in Las Vegas and went to the Mayweather Gym. It was around the time when he had turned pro, with a 2-0 record and 18 years of age. ‘The Chosen One’ ended up sparring with Plant, at 22-2, and after five rounds, he hit him with a body shot, which later made him jump out of the ring.

Berlanga declared, “In the sixth round, I got to him. I hit him with a crazy body shot, boom, and he started running. He started doing circles around the ring, jump right out.”

The two have been at each other’s throats since the Alvarez vs. Munguia event incident and have downplayed each other. It remains to be seen whether the two will meet inside the ring again and settle their dispute.

What do you make of this incident involving Edgar Berlanga and Caleb Plant? Do you believe the two should fight next? Let us know in the comments below.