Saunders Prefers Golovkin Bout Over Canelo: I Know I'll Beat Him
WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders feels ready to get in the ring with IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (36-0, 33KOs).
Golovkin has been pressing for the opportunity to get his hands on Saunders, but so is Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.
Saunders (23-0, 12KOs), however, insisted Golovkin would be his preference over Alvarez, even if he represents the harder opponent, and that it is not a fight he is pursuing for money.
Saunders returns on October 22nd, defending his title for the first time against Artur Akavov at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. Golovkin is back on December 10th, possibly against Daniel Jacobs.
"I want to see how good I am," he told Press Association Sport. "In my own head, I know I'll beat him. I'm not the one to walk into that arena and think 'it's Golovkin here. It's going to be a good pay day but I'm going to get beat up'.
"No way, because I wouldn't take that fight. I've earned what I set (out) to earn, it's not about that anymore: it's to see how good I am.
"I don't want to keep going back to it, but what happened in Scotland (last week's fight after which boxer Mike Towell died): every time I get in the ring there's a risk of that happening to me.
"So I want to earn as much as I can, so the faster I get out of it - I love the sport, but it's dangerous - but achieve my limit, (the better).
"I said (Golovkin would) beat both of (me and Chris Eubank Jnr) on the same night, but they said 'when will you be ready for Golovkin?'
"I said '18 months to two years'. To get experience: to mature, and that's what I've done. Frank and my management, I know they can make the fight. I've got the one title they haven't.
"What do we have, one (unified champion) every 10 years? I can't remember the last one: every title on the line. We owe it a lot."
