WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) was hoping to secure a fight against Gennady Golovkin this year, but he might have to wait a little while longer after the announcement of the biggest fight of 2017 in Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez versus ‘GGG’.
The Englishman has recently linked up with world class trainer Adam Booth and is eager for a crack against the winner, daring them to fight him at their press conference in London yesterday.
Speaking to Behind the Gloves, Saunders laid it all out: “Hopefully I get the winner, I asked Canelo why he gave his WBC [world middleweight] title up, he said he had a court case coming up.”
Saunders had a different suggestion though, “He’s sh*t himself.”
The unbeaten WBO ruler is currently without a fight after a scheduled bout with Avtandtil Khurtsidze fell through for legal reasons.
“I’ve sat down with my team last week; I need to get active. It leaves me with a mandatory of David Lemieux,” explained the Hatfield boxer. “It’s a good fight, good opposition. He’s been in with Golovkin. Maybe in September, I just need that phone call now, go away and do what you got to do.”
When asked if the Canelo v Golovkin winner would become the best Middleweight in the world, Saunders had a few caveats to discuss. “On paper [yes], but styles make fights. I think I’ve been avoided by both teams for a reason. They’re trying to build a big, big fight between themselves. They know fighting me before announcing this fight was very, very risky.”
‘Triple G’ was close to fighting Billy Joe earlier in the year but talks broke down. “I believe the fight fell through back then because he started talks with Canelo, Canelo grew a set of balls! Hopefully I get the winner,” he stated.
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