Billy Joe Saunders has heard and read a lot about Canelo Alvarez’s vision for becoming boxing’s fully unified super middleweight champion.

Defeating England’s Saunders on May 8 would give Alvarez all but one of the 168-pound titles he’d need to complete that championship mission. If the Mexican icon becomes the first fighter to beat the British southpaw next month, he is expected to pursue a showdown with unbeaten IBF champ Caleb Plant.

Eddie Hearn, whose company promotes Alvarez and Saunders, asked Saunders about talk of an Alvarez-Plant fight during a virtual press conference that debuted Wednesday on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.

“Well, you know, I only hear, you know, yourself, Eddie, talking about that fight and Canelo’s camp,” Saunders said. “So, you know, you tell me more. But, you know, I’ll be looking to put a spanner in the works for that. Same as I did with previous champions when they’re talking about other fights. They’ve got to beat me first.”

If Alvarez gets past Saunders, Plant (21-0, 12 KOs), of Ashland City, Tennessee, would not be expected to box before facing the four-division champion in what would be the most profitable fight of Plant’s career.

Most Internet sports books list Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) as at least a 6-1 favorite to beat Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) in their 12-round fight for their three super middleweight championships. DAZN will stream their fight worldwide as a main event from the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I respect every fighter who gets in the ring,” Saunders said. “You know, I have to respect him because of the life is put on the line. But, you know, there’s out-of-the-ring generalship that I look at and think, you know, I’m gonna bow down to – that’s for sure. As humans, we’re all one and I don’t put myself beneath or on top of anyone. So, I respect him as a fighter, but that’s as far as it gets in my respect for anyone.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.