Joe Gallagher, the head trainer for WBA super middleweight champion Callum Smith, believes Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez was looking for an easier option when selecting his opponent for May 2nd.
Smith was one of the frontrunners to face Canelo on the Cinco De Mayo date.
Everything appears to indicate that Canelo will challenge WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.
Smith recently lashed out, because Canelo and his handlers made him a single offer - which he rejected - and then Smith never heard from Canelo and his team again.
But Saunders, who also rejected the initial offer that Canelo's team presented, was then given a much improved offer to eventually get an agreement in place on the financial terms.
"(Canelo's trainer) Eddy Reynoso has told Eddie Hearn he never wanted no part of Callum Smith, although he said to me he would do," Gallagher told Sky Sports. "He knows his fighter and Callum Smith just isn't somebody that Canelo wants to fight.
"You can never say Canelo ducks anyone, he's fought every man and his dog, but what I'm saying is - they know that Callum Smith is a huge serious threat for him. It's just a shame really that fight isn't happening. I think to myself, one it's Callum Smith's size, he's young, he's hungry, he can punch with either hand. He's got a good inside fighting game and he's a huge problem.
"Billy Joe, on the other hand, exceptional talent, quick feet, southpaw. Billy Joe presents a lot of problems, but I think Canelo thinks to himself, he doesn't hit as hard as Callum Smith, so I think he can deal with movers. He feels he can just cut off the corner and in Vegas they score for pressure. Billy Joe can win rounds, but can he win enough rounds is the main thing to see?"
