Canelo Alvarez is boxing’s highest-earning fighter, but there are some things money simply can’t buy.

Alvarez is the WBO, WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine champion at 168, and the only title missing from his mantle for undisputed status at super middleweight is the IBF belt possessed by Caleb Plant. 

Plant (21-0, 12KOs) is planning on a handsome payday for Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) to have a chance at snatching his strap.

All signs point toward a potential date of Sept. 18 around the Mexican Independence Day holiday for a fight Alvarez has desired since he stepped into the division. 

“That [$10 million] number sounds right, or somewhere around there,” Plant told Seconds Out. “I’m not looking to price myself out of a fight that I want and a fight that I know in my heart that I can win. But I also don’t want to get anything less than what I would be owed. When it comes to fighting here over in America, I don’t have a bigger fan base than Canelo does, but I have a bigger fan base over here than Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders do, and I bring a lot more views than Callum and Billy do. I have a great team around me. I don’t think there is any better manager than Al Haymon. We’re going to sit down here real soon and get things worked out.” 

Plant’s $10 million purse request is in the neighborhood of what previous Alvarez opponents have been paid. Sergey Kovalev ($12 million), Daniel Jacobs ($12 million), Billy Joe Saunders ($8 million), Callum Smith ($6 million), and Avni Yildirim ($2.5 million) were all rewarded handsomely for their services fighting the Mexican star in recent bouts. 

“I’m not completely clueless on negotiations, but what I do is fighting. When it comes to fighting, that’s something people can’t tell me about,” said Plant. “I don’t think it’s a secret that fighting on pay-per-view will bring in a lot more revenue as opposed to fighting on [DAZN]. It would be leaving millions on the table not just for myself, but much more millions for him. I would just wonder why [Canelo] would want to leave those millions on the table.”

Alvarez is a promotional free agent but has taken a liking to Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn while fighting his three fights away from Golden Boy on DAZN, the home to his last six fights in total. Plant has been fighting exclusively on PBC on FOX.

If Alvarez and Plant can break barriers and draw a blueprint for a cross-platform fight, it could be a big victory for the sport as a whole.

Plant is looking for an actual victory in the ring to change the course of his life and career. 

“This has been my dream to be an undisputed fighter and be on the pound-for-pound list and cement a legacy in boxing that people can’t erase,” said Plant. 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com