Former WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders is looking for big opportunities at 168-pounds.
Down at middleweight, Saunders would really like to get in the ring with WBC, WBA world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez - but he believes the Mexican superstar wants no part of him.
Saunders (27-0, 13 KOs) is slated to face Shefat Isufi on April 13 at Wembley Arena. Initially it was sanctioned for the vacant WBO super middleweight title, but now that's up in the air because Gilberto Ramirez has denied that he ever vacated his belt - and the sanctioning body reinstated him as the beltholder.
One of Saunders' key victories was a complete domination of David Lemieux in December 2017.
Lemieux, like Canelo, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
Saunders believes that performance has scared off Golden Boy and Canelo - because they view him as a stylistic nightmare.
“I haven’t ever shown my best. People think [fighting David] Lemieux was good but I remember, I’ll never forget it, I walked to the ring that night thinking, ‘This ain’t Golovkin though. I know there’s another 30 percent left in me. The only time it will come out is when I’m physically at my best and when it’s put on me. Only then will you see what I’ve got and what I haven’t got," Saunders told Boxing News.
“I always said the performance that night was good to get me noticed but it wasn’t good for business. Look at Canelo – the biggest problem he ever had in the ring was [Erislandy] Lara, who is a slick boxer. To be honest I think I’m slicker than Lara. I thought he nicked their fight.
“My style can be bad for business for them who want opponents who are all-action and want to stand in front of Canelo and get lumps knocked off them. But I’m not really about that, I’ve always had it drummed into me since I was a kid that it’s about hit and not get hit. If that doesn’t suit their Mexican style then I’m not going to change it for them. I’ll prove I’m the best if you give me the chance but I’m not going to stand there and let you knock lumps out of me.”
