WBO super middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders is pumped to get himself in the ring with Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez, who holds the WBA's "regular" title at 168-pounds.
Saunders has been gunning for Canelo since the two of them were competing at middleweight. Canelo still holds titles at 160-pounds, but he's making a big climb to the light heavyweight limit of 175 to challenge WBO world champion Sergey Kovalev on November 2.
Saunders is set to return on November 9 in Los Angeles against an opponent to be announced.
Should the two of them win, Saunders would like to face Canelo in May, as part of Cinco De Mayo weekend.
"That's because he's the face of boxing and I'd like the chance to beat him," Saunders told Sky Sports. "Here's the really scary thing - I know that I can do it. I would take pleasure in ruining Cinco de Mayo for the Mexican fans."
Saunders recently signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, who is aligned with streaming service DAZN. The streaming service also have an exclusive deal with Canelo.
Saunders has been watching Canelo for a very long time and always believed that the two of them would eventually trade punches in the ring at some point.
"I watched Canelo fight Ryan Rhodes and Matthew Hatton. I've known since day one, ever since I put on a pair gloves, that our paths would cross. I always knew, and dreamed, what would happen when we did. Just the same as David Lemieux - I always knew our paths would cross, too, and they did. Just the same as becoming world champion - I always knew I'd do it, and I did," Saunders said.
"With a fighter like Canelo you can't go into the ring with a game-plan. You need to think: 'this is my one and only chance to change my name from being good to great'. [Former trainer] Jimmy Tibbs always said there's a difference. If I said someone was a great fighter, Jimmy would say: 'No, Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano were great fighters - that guy is a good fighter'. Canelo isn't great. He's good. I might look terrible in 10 fights in a row but if you put Canelo in front of me, it's a different ball-game. A fighter like me? My style has beat him before, and I believe I can do it again."
