By Rick Reeno
Frank Warren, promoter of WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12KOs), spoke to BoxingScene.com to explain the recent turn of events with respect to the negotiations to have Saunders appear on the HBO Pay-Per-View undercard to Canelo Alvarez vs. Liam Smith, which takes place on September 17th at AT&T Stadium in Texas.
The news broke last week that Saunders rejected a string of opponents that were offered for the card. After he rejected contender Gabe Rosado, Canelo's promoter - Golden Boy Promotions - removed him from the event.
According to Warren, his fighter was never officially a part of that event. There were ongoing discussions for a two-fight agreement, that would see Saunders return on the Canelo-Smith undercard, and then fight the winner of the main event in December.
Warren is now making moves for Saunders to defend his title on a date in October in the UK. Due to injuries and other circumstances, Saunders has been out of the ring since capturing the title from Andy Lee last December.
"I was in negotiations [with Golden Boy]. We had done the deal for Liam Smith to be fighting Canelo and we were trying to sort out a deal for Bill to fight on the undercard and it was subject to certain conditions regarding an opponent that I would be picking," Warren explained to BoxingScene.com.
"At that stage, we were looking at building a fight to face the winner of [Canelo-Smith] on the 10th of December, and I want him to be in a good fight as far as I'm concerned. Long story shot, the list of opponents had come through and it's not what we discussed [with Golden Boy]. It was never announced that he was fighting on the card. It was always subject to certain conditions. The condition wasn't met and now he's fighting over here."
"He'll fight over in the UK and then he'll fight again in December. We're looking at getting him out in October, we're looking at a couple of venues. I'm putting a card together that hopefully I can announce on Thursday."
Warren also indicated that Rosado was never an opponent that interested them or one of the names that had been discussed with Golden Boy.
"It was never a fight that interested me. At the end of the day, the deal was that I would pick the opponent and not them. At the end of the day, the money that was being offered and what I had to pay extra [to meet Saunders' minimum] - that was not for me. Unfortunately Bill's had a sh*tty year, but we're going to get him track and get him two fights before Christmas. He'll return over here and then have a big fight in December.," Warren said.
