By Ron Lewis
Billy Joe Saunders says he would relish the chance to face Callum Smith in a world super-middleweight title unification fight and would have no problem travelling to Smith’s home turf in Liverpool to make the fight happen.
Eddie Hearn, the promoter, unveiled Saunders as his latest signing in London yesterday and suggested that a clash for Smith’s WBA and title and Saunders’s WBO belt would be an obvious match and could take place at either Anfield or the Emirates Stadium – the football grounds respectively of Liverpool and Arsenal. However, Hearn said the fight “still needs building” and would not happen until next summer at the earliest.
Saunders, who was unveiled at Matchroom’s latest signing in Tuesday, said he had no problem going to Liverpool
“I’ve been the away fighter numerous times,” Saunders said. “I haven’t got a problem fighting him at Anfield, as long as there is a ring and fair judging and the best man wins. That’s all I'm concerned about. My main thing in boxing is be fair. I’ll fight him in his back garden if he wants, as long as there's a ring and fair judging.
“Anfield would be a big occasion. I believe this is the sort of fight that we deserve in this country, to be part of one of them is very exciting. I think if he beats a big name and I beat a big name it’s a fight that can be made.”
Saunders said he had made the move to Matchroom to give him the best chance of getting in the type of huge fights that have largely eluded him in recent years. Unbeaten in 28 professional fights, Saunders has held WBO titles at middleweight and super-middleweight, claiming the latter when he beat Shefat Isufi for the vacant belt in Stevenage in May after Gilberto Ramirez had given up the title.
“I was hoping to get a name for the fight in Stevenage,” he said. “It was my first fight there and I needed a big, big name to draw a big crowd and get the buzz of a big fight.
“Ramirez vacated and the No 1 (Isufi) was the No 1, so I had to fight him. That fight got made and after that I was scratching around thinking ‘who should I look for’. I’ve tried (Gennady) Golovkin twice before, I’ve tried Canelo before, (Chris) Eubank (Jr) is hard to make a deal with, then with Callum Smith, Frank put an offer in but it wasn't the right one for him.
“It was inevitable to come to Matchroom. I think it was always in my mind that it was the best place to be because of the access to the elite fights at middleweight.”
Saunders turns 30 this month and he believes he only has a maximum of three years to get the fights he really wants.
“I wouldn’t say I’m in the final stage of my career but I’m at the back end of it,” he said. “I’m not going to be pro for another ten years.
“DAZN need to make these big fights. Let the best fight the best and I know I’d be the best at 160 and 168.”
Saunders says a fight with Alvarez would be his ultimate target “because of the stature of who he’s beat”.
“Floyd Mayweather is the only man to beat him and it’s a fight I believe in my own mind that I can win. I’ll be happy enough to say ‘whatever I'm earning, just let him match it and the winner takes it all’. That’s how happy and confident I’d be to fight him and beat him.
“It’s not about the money it’s about establishing my name and retiring with a status like Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton did.”
