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

[gregregegg]

I dont think he will ever fight 160 again, but he will fight 175 if the fights are there id guess.

168 is perfect for him, right now he has plenty of options there, billy, then caleb, thats this year done.. Then he has benevidez at 168 there or he can drag Bivol down to 168, or drag GGG, charlo, Andrade, Munguia, up to 168. then berlanga if he manages to keep winning for a couple of years...

but in that time if a decent name, or and easy belt appears at 175 i dont think canelo would be scared to go back up.

[DrDuke]

BJS is nice fella. Gotta root for him.

Yeah nice I guess if you find a world class professional boxer inciting drug addicts to attack members of the public with the promise of some money for drugs as nice, then yeah I guess he's nice.

Or maybe it was him encouraging his young son to punch opponents in the balls that made you value him as a nice person.

That's what I'm telling, nice fella. Let's go BJS!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo's Coach: Saunders is Not Mayweather - It's That Simple!

Eddy Reynoso, the head trainer for four division world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, has reacted to the recent statements from Billy Joe Saunders.

Canelo and Saunders will meet in the ring on May 8th, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. DAZN will carry the contest.

The WBC, WBA, WBO super middleweight titles will be at stake.

Saunders believes Canelo has issues with good boxers - and points to the Mexican star's sole defeat, which came in 2013 at the hands of Floyd Mayweather, who won a one-sided twelve round decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Canelo also had trouble with boxers like Erislandy Lara and Austin Trout.

During the last few years, Canelo greatly improved with world title wins at junior middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and even light heavyweight.

Many observers view him as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.

"The Saul from back then is very different from the one we see now and Saunders is not Mayweather, it's that simple," Reynoso explained to ESPN Deportes.

Reynoso recognized the quality of their upcoming opponent, who is undefeated and a two-division world champion, but he's confident that Canelo has the proper tools and abilities to walk away with a big win.

"It will be a difficult fight, because Saunders is a champion at 168 pounds. It will be a difficult fight but in the end the quality of Saul and the strength that he has will see him prevail," Reynoso assured.

Should Canelo win, he will move forward to a September showdown with IBF champion Caleb Plant - in a fight to crown the undisputed king at super middleweight.

[Coco]

To play devils advocate here, while Alvarez has mostly looked fantastic in dismantling all around him, he very much has feasted on undersized fighters who are past their best(Khan, Cotto, Mosely, Cintron, Baldomir) or not genuine world class(Hatton, Rhodes, Ndou, Gomez, Lopez, Chavez Jnr, Fielding, Yildrim).
The Smith brothers at best are low world class, you can say Kov was past his best too.

Leaving close wins against GGG(possibly on the slide) and Daniel Jacobs.

Does his record really stack up elite wise?

[tonyevs]

And then to put those guys you say are not world class into perspective with the age he faced them, I think his record is the best of any current boxer out there at the moment.

We only need to look at how long and what names he has faced; each and every one of those names were a learning fight for the fighter we have today.

[margaret thatcher]

To play devils advocate here, while Alvarez has mostly looked fantastic in dismantling all around him, he very much has feasted on undersized fighters who are past their best(Khan, Cotto, Mosely, Cintron, Baldomir) or not genuine world class(Hatton, Rhodes, Ndou, Gomez, Lopez, Chavez Jnr, Fielding, Yildrim).
The Smith brothers at best are low world class, you can say Kov was past his best too.

Leaving close wins against GGG(possibly on the slide) and Daniel Jacobs.

Does his record really stack up elite wise?

thing is, you can do that type of thing with pretty much anyone's record too

his is about the best it gets in boxing today. only pac has a stronger record among active fighters

[Ricky]

Looking forward to seeing Saunders getting a pasting. The most dislikeable fud in the sport.

[ThereByTheGrace]

Looking forward to seeing Saunders getting a pasting. The most dislikeable fud in the sport.

Not sure he will get a pasting as you say. Im really looking forward to this fight and im a big canelo fan. I hope saunders beats him because hes wanted this fight for years. Canelo in his prime. Saunders is game. Ive been watching saunders for years and ive not seen him lose many rounds in that time.

[coghaugen11]

Anyone wanting Saunders to win needs their head examined. Sick.

[margaret thatcher]

Looking forward to seeing Saunders getting a pasting. The most dislikeable fud in the sport.

agreed

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Releas | Kieron Conway vs. Souleymane Cissokho on undercard

Kieron Conway says fighting in front of 70,000 fans in Dallas will be ‘surreal’ but he’s ready to turn on the style against Souleymane Cissokho on the undercard of the unification blockbuster between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders at AT&T Stadium on Saturday May 8, live worldwide on DAZN and on TV Azteca in Mexico.

Conway (16-1-1 3 KOs) fights on the biggest stage of his career just under two years since the Northampton man boxed in front of a tiny crowd in his hometown over four rounds. Since that night, the 24 year old has gone to a whole new level; a war with Ted Cheeseman for the British Super-Welterweight title in London in June 2019 ending in a split draw but also a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.

‘Too Class’ has won four fights since that barnburner with ‘The Big Cheese’, with wins over Nav Mansouri at the Matchroom Fight Camp in Essex, UK in August and a shut-out over Macaulay Magowan in London in December standing out in that run.

Magowan stepped in to replace Cissokho (12-0 8 KOs) on the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev undercard after administrative reasons forced the Frenchman out of the bout on the bill of his manager Joshua, but that frustration for Conway has been replaced by excitement now that he gets to defend the WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight title on the biggest platform possible.

“It’s a massive opportunity for me, coming off the AJ card last time out, that was a big stage and now this has come up,” said Conway. “It feels a bit surreal but I’m really looking forward to it and it’s a big stage and a good fight.

“I came up the hard way in the small hall shows where sometimes you are not even getting paid, so to be where I am at now it mad and I need to keep winning, keep entertaining and keep performing so people keep wanting to watch me.

“When I boxed at the Deco Theater in Northampton in front of about 1,000 people not being paid, I told people that I would be boxing on the biggest stages one day and in the space of about two years, i am. AJ cards, Canelo card in front of 70,000 in America - that’s unreal.

“I can’t wait to be in there with such a massive crowd, reacting to your punches and cheering, it makes it feel less like a sparring session. It’s back to big things, this is the biggest stage I’ve ever been on, I’ve got a good spot on the show so there will be a big crowd already in the stadium, so I can’t wait.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hearn: Saunders refuses to do media; Canelo doing everything

Promoter Eddie Hearn says Billy Joe Saunders has chosen to refuse to do anything with the media this week to create interest in his fight with Canelo Alvarez on May 8th at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

With Billy Joe (30-0, 14 KOs) opting to do nothing with the media, it’s put everything on Canelo’s shoulders, and he’s doing the hard work giving interviews and talking about the fight, according to Hearn.

Hearn isn’t quite sure why WBO super middleweight champion Saunders isn’t doing his part to work with the media this week, but it’s possible that he’s unhappy with the attention he’s given to the superstar Canelo, who is the A-side for this fight.

Saunders, 31, wanted a British judge to be among the three judges, but it’s not happening. Hearn has no control over the judging panel in terms of selecting which countries they come from.

It’s interesting that Saunders is choosing not to put any effort into helping promote the fight, but it would be a different story if it were on pay-per-view. With the fight being shown DAZN, there’s less of a need for Saunders to put in the hard work promoting the fight.

If this is a strategic move by Saunders to conserve his energy for the fight by not draining himself by giving interviews, it still likely won’t work.

The Saunders that we saw against 38-year-old Martin Murray in his last fight in December, and in his two previous fights against Marcelo Esteban Coceres and Shefat Isufi, won’t have much of a chance against Canelo.

Saunders is a good fighter, but not an elite-level guy. He’s a guy that holds a belt because he was matched against a marginal fighter in Shefat Isufi.

If Saunders had to earn the WBO title by beating David Benavidez, he wouldn’t likely be a champion.

Billy Joe refuses to do media

“They [Saunders] feel I’m favoring Canelo Alvarez. I’m not favoring Canelo Alvarez,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV. “Billy Joe has basically refused to do any media, so Canelo is doing all the media.

"So, of course, the media attention is on Canelo Alvarez because Billy doesn’t want to do anything. He just doesn’t want to do any media. So this week he’s refused to do any media. Listen, that’s alright. It’s not unusual. Sometimes people don’t want to do it. They want to focus on the fight.

“Of course, you’re talking about a pound-for-pound star [Canelo] that everyone is talking about, and he’s doing bucketfuls of media,” said Hearn about Alvarez doing all the promoting for his fight with Saunders by doing the media work.

“So when people say, ‘I’m not hearing anything about Billy Joe,’ it’s because he’s not doing anything. He’s refused to post on social media.

“He doesn’t want to do any media, that’s fine,” said Hearn about Saunders. “He’s focused on the fight, that’s good. This is probably going to be good for Billy Joe. If he’s happy and carefree, maybe he won’t go in there and put on a great performance.

“There’s equal representation, but one [Canelo] is getting more attention [by the media] because he’s doing all the media,” said Hearn on why Canelo is getting more attention than Billy Joe.

Saunders should be working hard in helping to promote the fight because it would mean more boxing fans would get a chance to see him fight.

If the idea is for Saunders to create other opportunities for him in the future, he’s going about it the wrong way by being passive-aggressive.

Try to imagine a social media expert like Jake Paul choosing to not promote his own fight for whatever reason.

Jake wouldn’t take that kind of a stance because he would be undermining himself. He would take full advantage of his moment in the spotlight, but we’re not seeing that with Saunders.

Canelo is expected to beat Saunders with ease on May 8th, and it’s too bad that Billy Joe doesn’t want to take the high road by showing his best self to the fans and the media as he finishes up what will likely be his last days as a world champion.



It’s a bad look on Saunders part that he’s acting bitter, complaining, and not show the class that we’re seeing from Canelo.

Saunders would look better if he kept his feelings hidden because even if he was getting the second class treatment as the B-side in the promotion, he’s so much better off not complaining and looking like a spoiled sport.

For future promoters that might be considering whether they’d want to do business with Saunders, they might choose to steer clear of him if they think he won’t help promote the fights.

Hearn gave Saunders the Canelo fight

“I think a little bit of it is him and Tyson want to wrap themselves up, it’s ‘us against the world’ mentality, which I think is great for them,” said Hearn on why Saunders is choosing to be reluctant about giving interviews.

“I’ve done everything I can for Billy Joe Saunders. I’ve backed him when people said I shouldn’t back him. I’ve delivered for him when others couldn’t deliver for him.

“I can’t do anything more than that. If you don’t want me around, I’ve given you the opportunity [against Canelo] to become a British boxing legend.

“He deserves this opportunity,” said Hearn in sounding like a diplomat in carefully choosing his words.

We’ll see if Saunders can take advantage of this opportunity that Hearn has given him. It doesn’t look good, though. Saunders looked mediocre in virtually all of his fights since his big win over David Lemieux in 2017.

Even the Billy Joe that we saw against Lemieux and Chris Eubank Jr will be out of his league against Canelo. Saunders is a spoiler, who tries to nick rounds, and that’s not going to work against Canelo. You don’t nick rounds from Canelo.

Alvarez’s popularity is smothering Saunders

“I promote both guys,” said Hearn. “I’ve delivered this absolute huge fight for both of them, the fight they all wanted.

“In Billy Joe’s case, he joined Matchroom because he wanted me to make these kinds of fights. I delivered it for an absolute s*** load of money.

“If he says he’s not bothered about the money, he’s also getting the legacy. He’s getting everything he needs. Every word for that contract [with Saunders] will be honored.

“I went to see Canelo Alvarez, and I went to see Billy Joe Saunders. Canelo Alvarez does happen to be the #1 pound-for-pound, and he is the A-side for the fight. There’s a lot of attention around him,” said Hearn.

Saunders is no name in the U.S, and that’s because he’s been matched carefully by his promoters over in the UK.

When you look at Saunders’ 30-0 record that he’s built up during his 12-year career, it’s just so obvious that he’s been steered around the talented opposition to keep him from losing.

The end result is, Saunders is getting a payday against Canelo that he hasn’t earned, and his resume is so weak that no one knows who he is in the U.S and he’s not a star in his own country.

[coneye]

Will Canelo blitz Suanders , , suppose on paper you have to say yeas ,, Its well known Saunders has been carefully , carefully matched , and according to a few does'nt deserve to be a champ , , Canelo well we all no about him ,,, But personaly i'm not going to count Saunders out well not completly anyway , and the reasons why are this .

Canelos only defeat was against Floyd , and his fans love to say he was only learning , he was too young bla bla bla ,,, BUT NO WAY , he had been a pro for 8 YEARS and undeafeted at the time , he may not of been in his prime but he cetainly was'nt learning the trade ala , say Conor Benn , he was a top world class pro who got well beat on the night by a great boxer .
So the next 8 years , Canelo has hit his straps in his peak , but look at what he's done in them 8 years , who has he fought really where he did'nt fight someone to old ala Mosley , or fight at Canelo weight ,or just plain and simple not in the , higher hetchelon , such has Hatton he certainly has'nt been fighting the best , Of course you could throw in Jacobs and GGG , but we all know he waited till GGG was that couple of fights to gone and has refused rematches since , not to mention judging contrversy ,, Jacobs well good he is , but once again he had been stewed in the pot till the time was right ,, Kolokev well he was handpicked , and really only came for a payday .

So all in all , how good is Canelo , he's good , but his whole record has been no one on top of there game , who is , similar in weight and age and boxed a similar time ,, is he good course he is , is he has good has his fans suggest , dunno about that one ,, Now take BJS , he should on paper get well beat , but he can move , , he can take a punch , and above all i doubt he will be scared of Canelo like some others , simply because he's been boxing since he was a kid , he's sparred harder hitters and he knows what to do ,, theres no Canelo weight involved , and no rehdrate clauses involved , and above all BJS does really beilieve in himself .

Now i've read elswhere that BJS is running scared , complaining about the judges , refusing to cooperate with the press , ect ect . But i'll tell you something thats utter BOLLOCKS , theres a reason for it all .

Firstly , complaining about judges , ect ,, well i would has well if i was him , the reason he's doing it is to draw attention to the bad hjudging favoring Canelo in the past , therefore letting the judges no there on notice , Ok they will not favor Billy , but might think twice about what there awarding Canelo , if he does'nt deserve it ,,, Its mind games , and its the right thing to do .

Secondly , refusing to do press work making Canelo do it all ,,, once again mind games , thats all , he 's one resting while Canelo is out in front of cameras . , He's also trying to piss Canelo off , get him mentaly wanting to kill , and be angry , Billy is a smart boxer , if you load up , he'll be gone if you stiffen up , he'll see it and be gone , if you try to kill him with a ko punch every time he will see it coming , Its all about getting Canelo to get the shits and get angry ,

Will it work probably not , Canelo is a true profresional , but heh its worth a try ,,, I think BJS is planning on stealing the rnds , not getting hit with combo's and landing one two's and move can he do it for 12 rnds probably not , but heh he is a smooth mover when he wants to be ,, and above all he's ready for this fight , and i think he bellieves he can win ,

Others have shown Canelo does'nt like movers and boxers , they have give him trouble early rnds , but the Canelo weights , rehydration clauses , and just plain being over the hill , have always meant he can catch up with them

Billys hoping for a bit of anger , a slight movement through a tense muscle , and the fact that he is on a level field , to do it for the duration of the fight at least the first 7-8 rnds , and that coupled with judges who now know there under scrutiny , might make this into a real good fight ,, I'm looking forward to this one .

Who wins , well i wanted Canelo to win , but now , thinking i dislike Canelo's weight , clauses , fighting older guys ect ect , well i didlike all that more than i dislike billy being a plonker , and Billys English ,, so now i want Billy to do the job , i want billy too win ,

So to give Billy a better chance i'm gonna pick Canel to win ,, cos i'm usually wrong

[Coco]

And because Canelo is the big A-Side he can give fighters short notice to fight him.

Also some say his improvement since PBF is induced!

[coneye]

And because Canelo is the big A-Side he can give fighters short notice to fight him.

Also some say his improvement since PBF is induced!

A nd i certainly agree with them , to be honest i think its the publics. Perception of Cheatelo he,s trying to change that got Saunders , plenty of time and no clauses

[Coco]

I want BJS to win, has been saying that he can live with the big boys for years, lets see if he has got it in him.
Be interesting to see his tactics, the obvious is to outbox him but then he will never get a decision on the cards.
Maybe we will see a more aggressive BJS and I'm looking forward to the fight, I will be disappointed if it's not competitive though.
WAR BJS

[coneye]

I want BJS to win, has been saying that he can live with the big boys for years, lets see if he has got it in him.
Be interesting to see his tactics, the obvious is to outbox him but then he will never get a decision on the cards.
Maybe we will see a more aggressive BJS and I'm looking forward to the fight, I will be disappointed if it's not competitive though.
WAR BJS

I think he's going to try and steal the fight ,, Hence the big play on bias judges , get the world looking , and put them under the microscope , before it starts ,,, I think he'll keep moving , never staying in the pocket except too hold , try and score with one two and move , try and frustrate Cqanelo , and steal early rnds , ... Course , Canelo will have something to say about that ,, , BUT i do like the fact there the same size and the same age , and both being around boxing roughly the same time , for once Canelo is going into the ring without an advantage , other than boxing skills , , think what will make a difference here , is BJS is'nt scared of Canelo , unlike most others , ,, Canelo if he gets in the zone will be very strong and powerful , so Billy will try to use good footwork to keep him out . . A lot is going to depend on how fit Billy is , and i think he will be in Great Shape , ,, Its the biggest fight of his life and i think he really believes he can do it

[brilo33]

I want BJS to win, has been saying that he can live with the big boys for years, lets see if he has got it in him.
Be interesting to see his tactics, the obvious is to outbox him but then he will never get a decision on the cards.
Maybe we will see a more aggressive BJS and I'm looking forward to the fight, I will be disappointed if it's not competitive though.
WAR BJS

I think he's going to try and steal the fight ,, Hence the big play on bias judges , get the world looking , and put them under the microscope , before it starts ,,, I think he'll keep moving , never staying in the pocket except too hold , try and score with one two and move , try and frustrate Cqanelo , and steal early rnds , ... Course , Canelo will have something to say about that ,, , BUT i do like the fact there the same size and the same age , and both being around boxing roughly the same time , for once Canelo is going into the ring without an advantage , other than boxing skills , , think what will make a difference here , is BJS is'nt scared of Canelo , unlike most others , ,, Canelo if he gets in the zone will be very strong and powerful , so Billy will try to use good footwork to keep him out . . A lot is going to depend on how fit Billy is , and i think he will be in Great Shape , ,, Its the biggest fight of his life and i think he really believes he can do it

no way anyone is ever going to be able to steal anything of saul on cinco de mayo celerbrating his mexican irish county mayo roots day. the way i see it billy needs a stoppage

[coneye]

I want BJS to win, has been saying that he can live with the big boys for years, lets see if he has got it in him.
Be interesting to see his tactics, the obvious is to outbox him but then he will never get a decision on the cards.
Maybe we will see a more aggressive BJS and I'm looking forward to the fight, I will be disappointed if it's not competitive though.
WAR BJS

I think he's going to try and steal the fight ,, Hence the big play on bias judges , get the world looking , and put them under the microscope , before it starts ,,, I think he'll keep moving , never staying in the pocket except too hold , try and score with one two and move , try and frustrate Cqanelo , and steal early rnds , ... Course , Canelo will have something to say about that ,, , BUT i do like the fact there the same size and the same age , and both being around boxing roughly the same time , for once Canelo is going into the ring without an advantage , other than boxing skills , , think what will make a difference here , is BJS is'nt scared of Canelo , unlike most others , ,, Canelo if he gets in the zone will be very strong and powerful , so Billy will try to use good footwork to keep him out . . A lot is going to depend on how fit Billy is , and i think he will be in Great Shape , ,, Its the biggest fight of his life and i think he really believes he can do it

no way anyone is ever going to be able to steal anything of saul on cinco de mayo celerbrating his mexican irish county mayo roots day. the way i see it billy needs a stoppage

Well then he's Fooooked

[margaret thatcher]

I want BJS to win, has been saying that he can live with the big boys for years, lets see if he has got it in him.
Be interesting to see his tactics, the obvious is to outbox him but then he will never get a decision on the cards.
Maybe we will see a more aggressive BJS and I'm looking forward to the fight, I will be disappointed if it's not competitive though.
WAR BJS

he'll get pounded, i'll be glad when he does too, total knobhead

[brilo33]

I want BJS to win, has been saying that he can live with the big boys for years, lets see if he has got it in him.
Be interesting to see his tactics, the obvious is to outbox him but then he will never get a decision on the cards.
Maybe we will see a more aggressive BJS and I'm looking forward to the fight, I will be disappointed if it's not competitive though.
WAR BJS

he'll get pounded, i'll be glad when he does too, total knobhead

you dont mean that, billy joe is gonna make him miss and swing all night

[margaret thatcher]

lol, as if canelo is david lemieux

[brilo33]

lol, as if canelo is david lemieux

come of it maggie saul aint a precision fighter he never was

[margaret thatcher]

he's very precise, what have you been watching? great head movement too, better than billy's let alone lemieux's

[brilo33]

he's very precise, what have you been watching? great head movement too, better than billy's let alone lemieux's

well most think he lost to triple g , i dont personaly