The promotional tour for the undisputed super middleweight bout between Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant got off to a rowdy and rambunctious start when bantering evolved to an all-out brawl in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Tuesday.

Plant proved that he’s not only a keyboard warrior and directed his Twitter rhetoric to the face of Alvarez by calling him a “drug cheat” weeks after he went on a social media diatribe ripping into Team Canelo after stablemate Oscar Valdez tested positive for a diuretic.

Alvarez infamously tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol in 2018 before his rematch against Gennadiy Golovkin.

During a pre-presser faceoff, after some back and forth jawing, Alvarez took offense to Plant’s “motherf-----” remark and forcibly shoved Plant and pushed him back several feet. Plant found his footing, walked toward Alvarez and swung a left hook. Alvarez ducked and countered with left and right hand as Plant’s glasses flew off his face before they were broken up. 

The WBC, WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine champion Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) drew first blood, however, cutting the IBF crownholder Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) above his right cheek six weeks before their Showtime pay per view math at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 

“He's going to pay on Nov. 6. You know, when somebody bothers me with a lot of sh!t, they know. I have something special for him,” said Alvarez. “You know what happens when they mess with me. It's extra motivation for me. This is something personal. So on Nov. 6, I am going to go with the same mentality that I had versus Billy Joe Saunders,” said Alvarez. 

Saunders, of course, attempted to get under Alvarez’s skin during their pre-fight buildup in May to no avail, only to suffer a fractured right orbital bone before quitting in his corner after the eight round. 

“I'm on my way to being undisputed. I'm happy to be here. I'm glad to have this fight. It's a very special fight for Mexico and for me, to be one of the unique fighters. To be undisputed. I am one step away from doing that,” said Alvarez. “[Being undisputed] is what I want in my career -- to make history. This fight is very important for me. I have the experience to deal with any style.”

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