By Edward Chaykovsky
Unbeaten contender Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12KOs) is setting a high bar for his future in the middleweight division.
Saunders beat a string of domestic contenders like John Ryder, Spike O'Sullivan, Chris Eubank Jr. and Nick Blackwell.
He moves to the world level on December 19th, when he takes on WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee (34-2) at the Manchester Arena. BoxNation will televise in the UK and HBO is interested in picking it up as well.
The fight has been postponed several times and both fighters are crossing their fingers that it actually comes off this time around.
WBA/IBF/IBO middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin is targeting the winner in 2016. Golovkin's first priority is the winner of the November 21 clash between Miguel Cotto and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. If the winner of that bout take a pass, then GGG will go after the WBO belt.
Saunders told the Welwyn Hatfield Times that he won't be ready for a Golovkin fight for at least 18 months.
“I’m feeling good. I just want to get in there on the night now. I’ve been back in training three weeks, haven’t had much sparring and I’m taking care of the eye because I want this fight to happen. It will lead to other things," Saunders said.
“We’ve both said it will be a hard fight many times which it will but beyond that, I’m man enough to say I’m 18 months away from the Golovkin fight once I win this belt from Andy [Lee]. It’s all there for me.”
