Although nothing could steal the limelight from the legacy defining fight between Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford this week, the altercation between Jermall Charlo and Caleb Plant at the weigh in certainly made a good attempt at it.
A short clip surfaced on social media of Plant landing a slap to the face of Charlo, before security quickly got in between the pair and separated them.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has weighed in on the situation and, safe to say, he’s not particularly impressed.
In response to the clip, he took to his official Twitter account to say:
“What is all this cheap shot tough guy mentality? If you don’t like someone, settle it in the ring, not in court for assault.”
What is all this cheap shot tough guy mentality? 🤨 If you don’t like someone, settle it in the ring, not in court for assault. 🤦🏾♂️
— Lennox Lewis, CBE, CM (@LennoxLewis) July 30, 2023
It remains unclear what actually happened before Plant landed the blow, though there are unconfirmed reports circulating that Charlo grabbed him by the face just before the incident.
‘Sweethands’ has not thrown a punch in the ring since this January, when he lost out via unanimous decision to fellow super middleweight contender David Benavidez.
As for Charlo, he had been heavily linked to a fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez this September, with many outlets reporting that a deal had been agreed for him to move up in weight and take on the Mexican star.
However, he withdrew from negotiations late on due to ongoing mental health issues, and his twin brother Jermell stepped in and will take on Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena on September 20.
Such is the nature of boxing, the demand for a fight between Charlo and Plant will now no doubt be through the roof.