Billy Joe Saunders: record, next fight and profile →
Billy Joe Saunders has had his say on the split with his trainer. The WBO middleweight world champion, whose mandatory challenger is Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, was last in the ring on December 3 in Paisley, Scotland.
The WBO has paved the way for Canelo Alvarez to finally make his debut as a full-fledged middleweight in his next fight. According to a report posted by espn.com’s Dan Rafael on Wednesday night, the Puerto Rico-based sanctioning organization has installed Alvarez as the mandatory middleweight challenger for its 160-pound champion, Billy Joe Saunders. The Mexican superstar still is considering facing countryman Julio Cesar Jr. at a catch weight in his next bout, but could choose to fight for Saunders’ WBO middleweight title.
Billy Joe Saunders has parted company with his trainer. The WBO middleweight champion had been mentored by Jimmy Tibbs since turning professional after the 2008 Olympics. But after the pair were not working together for Saunders’ last fight earlier this month, when he laboured to a points victory over Artur Akavov to retain his crown
So what became of middleweight Avantil 'Suicide' Khurtsidze, who after bursting the bubble of the undefeated Antoine Douglas on March 5th hasn't been seen in the ring since?
Avtandil Khurtsidze’s handlers want the WBO and Billy Joe Saunders to honor his mandatory title defense. Khurtsidze has been the No. 1 contender for Saunders’ WBO middleweight title for most of 2016, yet still hasn’t received his title shot. When it came time for Saunders to finally return to the ring earlier this month, he instead made an optional defense against Artur Akavov (16-2, 7 KOs), the 10th-ranked contender who lost a unanimous decision to England’s Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) on December 3 in Paisley, Scotland.
Artur Akavov has been at middleweight from the time he turned pro in March 2011. His manager, however, believes it is time to move him down to junior middleweight.
You have to give Billy Joe Saunders ten out of ten for honesty following his uncomfortably tight victory over Artur Akavov on Saturday night in Glasgow. The fingers on one hand more than suffice when it comes to marking his performance in the fight.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya is shaking his head after watching Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) retain his world title this past weekend. In his first fight since capturing the WBO middleweight world title last December from Any Lee, Saunders struggled to win a twelve round unanimous decision over unknown contender Artur Akavov (16-2, 7 KOs).
Billy Joe Saunders isn’t quite as eager as he once was to fight Gennady Golovkin after struggling against Artur Akavov. Saunders’ first fight in nearly a year resulted in an unimpressive unanimous-decision defeat of the Russian southpaw Saturday in Paisley, Scotland. England’s Saunders said he “stunk the place out” out after making the first defense of the WBO middleweight championship he won from Andy Lee (34-3-1, 24 KOs), the Irishman Saunders defeated by majority decision in a 12-rounder last December 19 in Manchester, England.
At least Billy Joe Saunders was honest about what has happened to his career since he won a middleweight title nearly a year ago. The trash-talking WBO middleweight champion has been hard on himself since his sub-par performance Saturday against Artur Akavov in Paisley, Scotland. Saunders defeated Russia’s Akavov by unanimous decision (116-112, 116-113, 115-113), despite starting slowly and looking lethargic during much of the 12-round fight, his first defense of the 160-pound crown he won from Irishman Andy Lee last December 19.