The pool of potential opponents for Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s current cash cow, dwindles with each passing day in the time warp of boxing. And now Billy Joe Saunders appears to be the latest odd man out.

The British super middleweight declared as much on his Twitter account Monday morning, pouring cold water over the likelihood of his facing the Mexican superstar this fall, while simultaneously suggesting to his promoter Eddie Hearn and broadcast partner DAZN that they lock up a fight date for him against either his compatriot, the WBA super middleweight titleholder Callum Smith, or the WBO middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade.

“Looks like the big one won’t be happening (with) Alvarez but still @BooBooAndrade (Demetrius Andrade) or Callum Smith should be made for November @DAZN_USA @matchroomsport …@EddieHearn get them made,” Saunders wrote.

BoxingScene.com last reported that the frontrunners to face Alvarez were Saunders and Smith, both of whom are promoted by Matchroom’s Hearn. Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs), a former middleweight titleholder, was all but set to face Alvarez earlier this year, in May, until the COVID0-19 outbreak put the kibosh on those plans. Saunders – a tricky southpaw known just as much for his technical astuteness inside the ring as well as his abrasive personality outside of it  – had flown out to Las Vegas earlier in the year to begin training for his projected “Cinco de Mayo” fight.

It’s not clear if Saunder’s concession means that Smith is now the lone favorite to land the Alvarez fight or if this is another sign of the ongoing contractual feud between Alvarez and DAZN.

Last week The Athletic reported that Alvarez and DAZN continue to be at significant loggerheads with each other and that there now seems to be a growing sentiment that Alvarez could sit out for the rest of the year. 

A potential showdown between the Liverpudlian Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) and Saunders has been talked about for some time as a domestic alternative, but Smith’s trainer, Joe Gallagher, has repeatedly expressed the financial unviability of that fight.

“I think both of them to fight each other, they'd be wanting four or five million each, and no matter what Callum Smith wants, Billy Joe would want more,” Gallagher told Sky Sports recently. “I just don't think there's the money in that fight here in the UK as a headline event.”

Back in 2018, Saunders was all but set to face Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs) in a middleweight title bout in Boston, but then he tested positive for a banned substance in the days leading up to the bout. Andrade took on Namibia’s Walter Kautondokwa instead, earning a wide decision.

Saunders last fought in November in Los Angeles, knocking out Marcelo Esteban Coceres in the 11th round, albeit in humdrum fashion, on a card topped by a six-round cruiserweight contest between YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI.