Billy Joe Saunders: record, next fight and profile →
Billy Joe Saunders (21-0) has relinquished the EBU middleweight title to concentrate on a world title shot. Mandatory challenger is Michel Soro (25-1-1) from France and he will now face highest available challenger. Soro has opened 2015 with two impressive knockout wins. Saunders is the WBO's mandatory challenger and guaranteed a shot at next month's fight between champion Andy Lee and challenger Peter Quillin.
Chris Eubank Jr stopped Dmitry Chudinov to clinch the WBA interim middleweight title with a one-sided win – and immediately called for a rematch with Billy Joe Saunders. Russian Chudinov entered the ring unbeaten but was taken apart by the sort of performance that will push a familair name into the equation, the fight being halted 51 seconds from the end of the 12th round.
Billy Joe Saunders has declined an opportunity to fight for the IBF World Middleweight Championship to remain on course for his WBO World title shot. Undefeated Saunders, the IBF number four ranked contender, was this week offered a showdown for the Vacant IBF crown against the number one ranked Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, after Felix Sturm also passed on the opportunity.
Staying true to its word of strictly going down its list of contenders, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) has ordered a vacant middleweight title fight between Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders. N’Dam is ranked #1 by the IBF, and already on board to fight for a vacant title, regardless of the opponent. Saunders is ranked #4 by the same sanctioning body, and will have until business close on Thursday, February 12 to accept the fight. Saunders entered the mix after #3 ranked Felix Sturm passed on the fight Monday morning. The former four-time titlist from Germany declared his intention to instead campaign in the super middleweight division, where he will pursue a long-awaited showdown with 168 lb. titlist Arthur Abraham.
There has been a twist to the tale of Billy Joe Saunders’ proposed WBO world middleweight title fight against the new champion from Ireland, Andy Lee. What has happened is that Lee will now first make a voluntary defence against undefeated American Peter Quillin on an Al Haymon TV show, possibly in New York on April 11, and Billy Joe may appear on the undercard. Saunders will then meet the winner, which obviously we hope will be Lee. The reason why we have not made an immediate match with Lee is because we feel this fight is big enough for an London open-air football stadium and none are available until the end of the season.
Billy Joe Saunders, the WBO World Middleweight mandatory title challenger and number one ranked contender, has stepped aside to allow world champion Andy Lee to make a voluntary title defence against Peter Quillin expected to be in New York, and may make his glittering American debut on the undercard. Saunders, the current British, Commonwealth, European and WBO International Champion, and his manager and promoter Frank Warren have allowed Lee to fight the American star next, subject to approval from the WBO, and Saunders will fight the winner - that both hope will be Irish rival Lee - in a huge summer showdown.
By Steve Kim Andy Lee captured the vacant WBO middlweight title on December with a six-round stoppage of Matt Korobov in Las Vegas. His mandatory challenger is the undefeated Billy Joe Saunders from the UK. But there are rumors that Lee could instead be facing Peter Quillin, who infamously vacated this very same belt and turning down a career-high payday of $1.4 million to face Korobov. When asked bout this situation, Lee's stateside promoter, Lou DiBella, told BoxingScene.com, "It should resolve itself within the next 48 hours. I'm just waiting on final details with the Billy Joe Saunders people."
Promoter Frank Warren easily grabbed the bidding win, as Queensberry Promotions were the sole participants today at the purse bids in Rome for EBU middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders´ mandatory defence of the title against French challenger Michel Soro (24-1-1). Queensberry bid 153,000 Euro and will announce date and site later.
The saga surrounding the World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight title was met with yet another plot twist Friday morning. Unbeaten contender Billy Joe Saunders—previously rumored to have been willing to once again step aside—has instead enforced his mandatory status for a due title shot versus recently crowned Andy Lee. A purse bid hearing has been ordered by the sanctioning body, to be held on Tuesday January 27th at London Stansted Airport. The minimum acceptable bid for the forthcoming middleweight title fight is $200,000. “I’m within touching distance of fighting for the WBO world title now and I can’t wait,” said Saunders (21-0, 11KOs), who earned the title shot with a narrow points win over Chris Eubank Jr. in their grudge match which doubled as a final eliminator last November.
Billy Joe Saunders, 21-0 (11), could face former foe Nick Blackwell, 16-3-1 (6), in a marking time fight while he waits on news of a challenge to Andy Lee for the WBO middleweight title. The BBBoC’s latest championship circular confirmed that promoter Frank Warren has won the rights to stage the British title defence, with the date and venue TBC.