Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders - 8 May 2021

[Twinkle Toes]

Canelo comes on strong and Saunders fades - No one can deny this.

It has the ingredients to be a hard night's work for Billy Joe.

[BigDoofus]

I’m putting it out there.... Is Canelo slightly overrated? It’s been close every time he’s fought anyone good, could easily be 0-3 against elite guys and I totally dismiss Rocky and Yildrim. Giving C Smith a few weeks notice was bad, too.

It seemed clear for weeks before that Smith had got the fight. It was reported that it was either BJS or him and BJS didn't want it.

[mickey1975]

I’m putting it out there.... Is Canelo slightly overrated? It’s been close every time he’s fought anyone good, could easily be 0-3 against elite guys and I totally dismiss Rocky and Yildrim. Giving C Smith a few weeks notice was bad, too.

It seemed clear for weeks before that Smith had got the fight. It was reported that it was either BJS or him and BJS didn't want it.

I know, but 'seems' isn't ideal at this level. BJS did the right thing. Not sure about the cash but you would think there was more in a Cinco fight with potentially big crowd. And he got twelve rounds under his belt.

[Cyclops]

I’m putting it out there.... Is Canelo slightly overrated? It’s been close every time he’s fought anyone good, could easily be 0-3 against elite guys and I totally dismiss Rocky and Yildrim. Giving C Smith a few weeks notice was bad, too.

It seemed clear for weeks before that Smith had got the fight. It was reported that it was either BJS or him and BJS didn't want it.

I know, but 'seems' isn't ideal at this level. BJS did the right thing. Not sure about the cash but you would think there was more in a Cinco fight with potentially big crowd. And he got twelve rounds under his belt.

Yeah. You have to pay for quality sparring partners and stuff to prepare you for whoever you're fighting. Canelo probably already knows who it is so has a full camp with appropriate high level sparring partners working on things. There's loads of factors as to why he's so unbeatable. And it's right that against his best opposition he hasn't dominated and should probably have a couple of losses.

[bigjack]

It seemed clear for weeks before that Smith had got the fight. It was reported that it was either BJS or him and BJS didn't want it.

I know, but 'seems' isn't ideal at this level. BJS did the right thing. Not sure about the cash but you would think there was more in a Cinco fight with potentially big crowd. And he got twelve rounds under his belt.

Yeah. You have to pay for quality sparring partners and stuff to prepare you for whoever you're fighting. Canelo probably already knows who it is so has a full camp with appropriate high level sparring partners working on things. There's loads of factors as to why he's so unbeatable. And it's right that against his best opposition he hasn't dominated and should probably have a couple of losses.

It has taken someone special to push him close,Lara aside 7 years ago only GGG has pushed him all the way in a close fight since,that's what Saunders has to deal with.

[smiling assassin]

I know, but 'seems' isn't ideal at this level. BJS did the right thing. Not sure about the cash but you would think there was more in a Cinco fight with potentially big crowd. And he got twelve rounds under his belt.

Yeah. You have to pay for quality sparring partners and stuff to prepare you for whoever you're fighting. Canelo probably already knows who it is so has a full camp with appropriate high level sparring partners working on things. There's loads of factors as to why he's so unbeatable. And it's right that against his best opposition he hasn't dominated and should probably have a couple of losses.

It has taken someone special to push him close,Lara aside 7 years ago only GGG has pushed him all the way in a close fight since,that's what Saunders has to deal with.

Trout gave him a tough night. The mans good no doubt about that but he is becoming massively overrated. I’d favour Billy’s chances a lot more if this was at middleweight

[bigjack]

Yeah. You have to pay for quality sparring partners and stuff to prepare you for whoever you're fighting. Canelo probably already knows who it is so has a full camp with appropriate high level sparring partners working on things. There's loads of factors as to why he's so unbeatable. And it's right that against his best opposition he hasn't dominated and should probably have a couple of losses.

It has taken someone special to push him close,Lara aside 7 years ago only GGG has pushed him all the way in a close fight since,that's what Saunders has to deal with.

Trout gave him a tough night. The mans good no doubt about that but he is becoming massively overrated. I’d favour Billy’s chances a lot more if this was at middleweight

Not seen that one for years so had forgotton about it

[margaret thatcher]

the trout fight was almost a decade ago, he's come on massively since

[margaret thatcher]

the fighters know it's on before we do, just because a fight is announced at x time doesnt mean that's when the guy first knew.....callum has been in the running as a canelo opponent for years now, no excuses for not being prepared. the homework shouldve been done long before on canelo

[margaret thatcher]

and if we're deciding to hand canelo hypothetical losses for all his close fights, bill is taking some losses in there too, except to a guy like akakov, not guys like ggg lol


that said......when it comes to the question of canelo becoming overrated, possibly..........ive seen talk of him moving up to cw and handily beating guys like dorticos, then going on to hw and beating contenders up there too. seems a bit extreme doesnt it!

although on the other hand, former mws have done similar, eg james toney

[Glass Joe]

Sky will not show Billy Joe Saunders’ unification fight with Canelo Alvarez, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said on Thursday that the pay-TV giant made no attempt to land one of the biggest bouts of the year but that it had nothing to with the involvement of an alleged crime boss in helping broker the contest, which will instead be shown by DAZN.

Broadcasters had been under pressure to “take responsibility” over Daniel Kinahan’s grip on the sport after Saunders last month confirmed the Irishman had “done the deal” for all his world-title fights.

Telegraph Sport also revealed last month that Sky had signed up to a United Nations charter that pledges to fight corruption.

Kinahan has categorically denied being a member of a murderous criminal gang, having previously been named in court as a head of one.

Hearn said Sky had not enquired about showing May’s fight because Canelo had a global deal with DAZN, which had already made clear it would broadcast the Saunders bout in the UK.

He said that superseded his own deal with Sky, through which it had shown both of Saunders’ previous WBC super-middleweight title defences.

Sky declined to comment on whether there was any connection between Saunders’ revelation about Kinahan and the UK broadcasting arrangements for the Canelo fight, with a source simply confirming it had not been offered the bout.

That was after the Telegraph was last month told there had been “concern” there over Kinahan’s on-going role in the sport.

DAZN has declined to comment on the pressure on broadcasters over Kinahan’s role in brokering world-title fights.

Sky and BT sought to distance themselves from Kinahan last summer when Tyson Fury announced the Irishman had helped strike a deal for him to fight Anthony Joshua for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

Both broadcasters declared they had not dealt directly with Kinahan amid calls led by then-Irish premier Leo Varadkar for a sporting and media boycott of what would be the biggest bout in British boxing history.

Telegraph Sport revealed last year that Fury, whose fights are shown by BT Sport, would no longer be represented by Kinahan in negotiations for the Joshua match.

But BT also showcases other boxers to have had relationships with the Irishman.

Neale Richmond, a member of the Irish parliament and an arch-critic of Kinahan, told Telegraph Sport: “It’s simply not good enough for broadcasters to dodge this. They need to take responsibility. They cannot claim ignorance.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Warre.n: I've Got More Faith in Saunders Beating Canelo Than His Own Promoter

Promoter Frank W believes WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders is more than capable of shocking Canelo Alvarez, who holds the WBC, WBA world titles.

The two champions will collide on May 8th in a three belt unification.

Canelo is a tremendous favorite to win the fight - with only three outings at the super middleweight limit.

He blasted out Rocky Fielding in 2018, dominated Callum Smith to capture the WBC, WBA titles in December 2020, and then last month he crushed mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim in three rounds.

Warren had promoted Saunders for the bulk of his career.

A few years ago, the two parted ways with Saunders signing a promotional agreement with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom.

Despite their breakup, Warren views Saunders as having the necessary tools in his arsenal to get the upset victory.

"If anyone can beat Canelo Alvarez then, for me, it is Billy Joe Saunders. And it seems like I've got more faith in Saunders pulling off an upset than his own promoter. Eddie Hearn said he is already talking to IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant's team about an undisputed clash with Alvarez," Warren told The Daily Star.

"If I was Saunders, I wouldn't want my promoter coming out and saying that. The Brit is preparing to put his WBO title on the line against the pound-for-pound star and current WBA and WBC champion on May 8. Of course, I worked with Saunders for most of his professional career so I know as well as anyone what he is capable of.

"Saunders at his best can beat anyone in the division and Alvarez is no different. But my fear is how comfortable the Mexican is now at the weight. Alvarez has already gone up to light heavyweight and handled a huge fighter like Sergey Kovalev. Now he is back down at [168], he is very, very good at that weight. Saunders has moved up from middleweight to become a two-weight world champion.

"The question will be is he strong enough to keep Alvarez off of him for 12 rounds? Saunders also has not been as active as I would like, he needs to be in the ring regularly to show his best. But he has the skills to do this. Saunders at his best is brilliant, he has a superb boxing brain and he can out-think any fighter."

[IRONFIST]

Saunders will box smart but will never be given the decision over the golden/ginger goose. UD loss.

[Counter-puncher]

Saunders will box smart but will never be given the decision over the golden/ginger goose. UD loss.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo vs. Saunders heading to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, hints Hearn

Eddie Hearn is hinting that the May 8th unification fight between 168-lb champions Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders is heading to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for this DAZN clash.

Hearn says the Canelo vs. Saunders bout will be “very close” to where last weekend’s match between Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez took place staged in Dallas, Texas.

It’s still not official that Canelo – Saunders will be taking place in Texas; Hearn talking about wanting to stage the fight in that state is a dead giveaway. It doesn’t make sense to take Canelo to Florida again because his fan base is Texas, California, and Nevada.

While it may not seem like a big deal to the average casual boxing fan for the Canelo-Saunders fight to be staged in Texas, it does mean quite many hardcore fans that follow the recent news.

Last Saturday, WBC super flyweight champion Chocolatito Gonzalez found himself on the receiving end of a controversial 12 round split decision in his rematch against WBA champ El Gallo Estrada in Dallas, Texas. Many fans felt that Chocolatito should have won that fight by at least 2 to 4 rounds.

Interestingly, one of the judges gave Estrada a wide 9 rounds to 3 victories with his 117-111 scoring for the fight, which was an absurd score.

On Sunday, it was learned that the World Boxing Association had given the judge a temporary suspension, but that’s not going to change the fight results.

Estrada still has a controversial win over Chocolatito, and that victory is all that counts. For fans in the dark about this, Estrada is promoted by Hearn, who also promotes Canelo.

As a result, for Hearn to bringing the Canelo vs. Saunders fight to Texas, it’s hard not to see this as potentially bad for Billy Joe in terms of his chances of winning a decision.

It wouldn’t be a big deal if Saunders had some pop in his punches because then he could take the judges out of the equation, but he has very little power.

With his anemic 46.67% KO rate, Saunders is strictly a finesse fighter who looks to win decisions by out-boxing his opponents. If Saunders can’t count on winning a decision against Canelo in Texas, what’s the point of going there?

“I must have said it under my mask! I think I had a mask on,” Hearn said to Fighthub about the location for the Canelo-Saunders bout. “It’ll be here in America.”

With the pandemic making it impossible to stage boxing events in front of fans in the UK and most areas in the U.S, Texas has become a popular destination to stage fights because they’ve been lenient about having large crowds attend events. As a result, we’ve seen these fights staged in Texas during the pandemic:

• Errol Spence vs. Danny Garcia – AT&T Stadium

• Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz – Alamodome in San Antonio

• Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smth – Alamodome

• Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell – American Airlines Center, Dallas

• Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez 2 – American Airlines Center, Dallas

Hearn has talked about wanting to stage the Canelo vs. Saunders fight in Las Vegas and Miami, but it looks like he’s got his sights set on staging it in Texas.

If it does take place in Texas, as we can hope for is the scoring for the fight; if it goes to a decision, it makes sense.

Canelo already has a black eye for his opponent’s choice for his last fight in selecting Avni Yildirim to defend his WBA/WBC 168-lb titles against instead of facing David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, or Gennadiy Golovkin.

The casual fans who say that Canelo was FORCED to defend against Yildirim because he was his mandatory with the WBC were wrong. Canelo wasn’t forced to face Yildirim. He wanted to fight him. As the WBC Franchise champion, Canelo can bypass mandatory challengers indefinitely.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said recently that Canelo didn’t have to fight Yildirim because his Franchise would have allowed him not to take that fight, but he wanted to face him.

[Deslioni]

I've moved on from this as i was bored with it

You picked the argument, mate.

Can we be friends ? I don't always agree with my wife but i love her

[high tower 1]

May is a long way off. There’s plenty of time for Saunders to do something awful and get booted.

[bigjack]

May is a long way off. There’s plenty of time for Saunders to do something awful and get booted.

Hope not,really want to see Saunders get a pasting.

[Glass Joe]

predictions?

PPV only 14.99
Canelo drug test came back negative
ring magazine belt on the line?
BJS using a horse in his ring entrance

[Ruthless-RKO]

predictions?

PPV only 14.99
Canelo drug test came back negative
ring magazine belt on the line?
BJS using a horse in his ring entrance

It’s not gonna be on Sky though.

[Jimmy2020]

predictions?

PPV only 14.99
Canelo drug test came back negative
ring magazine belt on the line?
BJS using a horse in his ring entrance

"Dropping"

Why does Edward write like an 18-year-old street dealer?

[Ruthless-RKO]

predictions?

PPV only 14.99
Canelo drug test came back negative
ring magazine belt on the line?
BJS using a horse in his ring entrance

"Dropping"

Why does Edward write like an 18-year-old street dealer?

So he can appeal to those 18 year olds.

[maverick23]

predictions?

PPV only 14.99
Canelo drug test came back negative
ring magazine belt on the line?
BJS using a horse in his ring entrance

It will be the announcement of the location. More than likely will be the Cowboys Stadium.

[Jimmy2020]

predictions?

PPV only 14.99
Canelo drug test came back negative
ring magazine belt on the line?
BJS using a horse in his ring entrance

"Dropping"

Why does Edward write like an 18-year-old street dealer?

So he can appeal to those 18 year olds.

You don't think they will think he sounds like a daft uncle?

[mickey1975]

Sky have got to be getting pissed off. He’s absolutely taking the mick.