Tag Archives: Billy Joe Saunders

Posted on 05/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For better or for worse, Canelo Alvarez has become the face of the boxing world. In addition to carrying his homeland of Mexico on his shoulders, he also bears the burden of expectations. In just a few short hours, those aforementioned expectations will skyrocket as Alvarez takes on Billy Joe Saunders at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

In the mind of many, Alvarez should claim the WBO super middleweight title currently in possession of Saunders to add to his WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine titles. With so much on the line, Chris Algieri believes one bad performance could become an indictment against the Mexican star.

“There’s so much on Canelo’s back now,” said Algieri during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He has to perform time and time out. He’s going out there four times a year so he really can’t have a misstep.”

Alvarez, 30, has rolled through the competition as of late. In May of 2019, the pound-for-pound star picked up a clear decision victory over former middleweight champion, Daniel Jacobs. He quickly followed up that win by moving up in weight and stopping former light heavyweight king, Sergey Kovalev before moving back down in weight to easily beat Callum Smith for his WBA, Ring Magazine and vacant WBC super middleweight titles. In his most recent ring appearance, Alvarez turned super middleweight contender Avni Yildirim into the laughingstock of the boxing world as he easily stopped him in the third round of their contest in late February.

Still, despite the long list of former champions and great fighters that are currently plastered on his resume, Algieri simply has a hard time when asked if he believes Alvarez will make it look just as easy against the Saunders.

“I just don’t think so,” continued Algieri. “He has an 0 for a reason. He goes out there and performs when he has to but he’s (Canelo Alvarez) been perfect and seems like he’s getting better and better. I don’t think it’s going to be easy but I’ve got Canelo coming out mostly by decision.”

Posted on 05/06/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Canelo Alvarez has heard it all before.

“He lost to Erislandy Lara.”
“Floyd Mayweather gave him a boxing lesson.”
“Austin Trout should have been given the decision.”

During the early stages of his career, while Alvarez was already viewed as a great fighter, many believed that his close calls against pure boxers left him a bit vulnerable. With the Mexican star currently pegged to take on WBO super middleweight belt holder Billy Joe Saunders this weekend, there is a growing belief that the British native has the exact style to hand Alvarez the first loss of his career in nearly a decade.

Despite those sentiments, Alvarez simply smiles whenever anyone questions his abilities to adjust to the pure boxing and counter punching style of Saunders. With so much experience under his belt, Alvarez can’t wait to dive into his new bag of tricks come fight night.

“He’s a great fighter,” said Alvarez during their press conference. “He has a lot of abilities and he’s a southpaw but I’m not the same fighter from six or seven years ago. This Saturday I will prove that.”

Alvarez, 30, will place his WBA, WBC and Ring magazine super middleweight titles on the line at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas Texas, in an attempt to snatch away the WBO title of Saunders and move one step closer to becoming an undisputed champion.

The tension between both sides has been noticeable the moment their contest came to fruition several months ago. Saunders, 31, has remained adamant that the moment will not overwhelm him as roughly 70,000 screaming fans are scheduled to be in the arena. Regardless of the pressure seemingly on the shoulders of Alvarez, the Mexican star is unfazed by it all. While the entire event may appear to be pressurized, the pound for pound star simply shrugs his shoulders as he’s been down this road several times over.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of big fights and this is just another day at the office.”

Posted on 05/06/2021

By: Steven Galeano

As Saturday night looms, Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders finally went face-to-face Wednesday at the final press conference. Fight week has been eventful as Team Saunders threatened to pull out due to a ring size dispute, yet fight fans can look forward to the long-awaited 12-round Super Middleweight unification on May 8 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, live worldwide on DAZN.

Fight week has proven to be controversial, beginning with Team Saunders claiming both sides agreed to fight in a 24 ft ring. The Saunders camp allegedly learned on fight week in Texas that they would instead fight in an 18 or 20 ft ring, much to their dismay. They further expressed that if the inner ring was any less than 22 ft, they would fly back home. Saunders went to the extent of missing Tuesday’s media day, which Alvarez attended solo.

After discussions behind the scenes, the ring issue has been resolved, although the exact size has not been revealed.

Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) has previously expressed frustration with Saunders, long accusing his opponent of searching for excuses and already showing signs of defeat. Saunders voiced his disapproval of the entire process, one of which involves the judges for Saturday night.

No judge from Texas, a state notably linked with dubious scorecards in big fights, was assigned to the main event. Nevada’s Tim Cheatham, California’s Max De Luca and Connecticut’s Glenn Feldman will judge Alvarez and Saunders 12-round title tilt.

Ring size and officiating aside, England’s Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) faces a tall order Saturday night. When in great rhythm, Saunders poses a slickness from the southpaw stance that would simply trouble any elite fighter. Saunders figures to be perfect for 36 minutes if he stands any chance of troubling Mexico’s Alvarez, arguably the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world today.

With potentially 70,000 fans in attendance, Alvarez will enjoy a massive home advantage. A raucous crowd cheering for every move Canelo makes further causes Saunders’ gameplan to be a much more daunting task. Saunders has long called for the fight, and the notion that he could beat Canelo has diminished over the years leading up to Saturday night. His two most recent performances have left much to be desired, yet he fully believes the time to accomplish this feat could not have been better.

Alvarez was last seen in the ring just over two months ago on February 27, dismantling overmatched WBC mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim (21-3, 12KOs) over three one-sided rounds in Miami. The bout took place only ten weeks after Alvarez defeated England’s Callum Smith (27-1, 19KOs) for Smith’s WBA/RING titles and the vacant WBC title on December 19 in San Antonio. Saunders was last seen in the ring on December 4, when he soundly outboxed fellow Brit Martin Murray (39-6-1, 17 KOs), who retired shortly after the bout.

Posted on 05/05/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Billy Joe Saunders knows good and well that the deck is stacked against him. The WBO super middleweight titlist is only a few days away from taking on unified champion Canelo Alvarez at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas this coming weekend.

Currently, the betting odds have listed Saunders as a long shot to pull off the upset. To go even further, the boxing public believes his chances come Saturday night are virtually zero. Regardless of those sentiments, WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, is standing firmly behind his countrymen.

“He’s going to rise up to the occasion,” said Fury during an interview with FightHype.com. “He’s going to give Canelo a boxing lesson. I’ve always said it, Billy Joe is the man to beat him. Billy Joe is undefeated in over a decade now. He’s unbeaten in 30 fights and no one has come close to beating him and I don’t think Canelo will.”

In the mind of many, Alvarez tops the charts on virtually every pound-for-pound list. At the age of 30, the Mexican product has won world titles in four separate weight classes, defeated some of the biggest names the sport of boxing has ever seen in Miguel Cotto, Gennadiy Golovkin and several others. Alvarez is also highly motivated to become the first undisputed world champion in super middleweight history.

But while Alvarez has run through the competition for years now, Fury doesn’t look at the pound-for-pound star as a supernatural force. In actuality, behind the world titles, flashy combination punches and endless accolades, lies a man who bleeds just like everyone else.

“Canelo is an excellent fighter, great fighter but he’s not the animal, beast, killer people make him out to be. He’s just a man with a pair of boxing gloves like us all. He can be beaten, he has been beaten before. People are scared before they even go in there and they already lose. Billy Joe ain’t scared of a fight. Billy Joe came out of the womb fighting like myself. We’ve fought to survive, we fought to live. On the world’s biggest stage, he’s going to rise to the occasion and win.”

If Fury is indeed correct, many believe Saunders best chance of pulling off the upset is to box Alvarez and avoid long, drawn-out exchanges. Although Fury wouldn’t exactly disagree with those sentiments, he’s also fully aware that at some point, boxing and moving won’t work. If Saunders truly wants to walk away with the biggest win of his career, Fury believes he’ll have to draw a line in the sand, bite down on his mouthpiece and let his hands fly in the center of the ring.

“This is a fight. I always say you can’t go swimming and not get wet. You’re going to have to fight sooner or later.”

Posted on 05/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

With Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders squabbling over the size of the ring, their showdown, which was due to take place this coming Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas, is in serious jeopardy.

Realizing that the entire event could go down the drain, super middleweight contender John Ryder has thrown on his cape in an effort to save the day.

In fact, Ryder is currently flying out to Dallas as we speak.

“I was always due to go out to Dallas,” said Ryder to Sky Sports. “Eddie wanted me to get out there and do a bit of promotion, for my up and coming fight in June, so I was always heading out there. But I mean if he gives me the call, I’ll pack the gum shield and protector.”

Issues between Alvarez and Saunders came to light earlier this week. The British product was initially under the impression that their unification contest would take place in a 24 ft ring. Yet, the moment Saunders and his team were given the opportunity to examine the ring up close, they quickly realized that it was significantly smaller.

According to Tom Saunders, father of Billy Joe, team Alvarez produced an 18 ft ring. Once he balked at the idea of his son stepping into such a small ring, team Alvarez offered to increase the size by 2 ft. Still, a 20 ft ring was unsatisfactory to team Saunders. While they were of the belief that their showdown would take place in a 24 ft ring, Tom stated that at minimum, the ring would have to measure at least 22 ft. Once broached with the idea, team Alvarez grew apoplectic and gave Saunders only one option.

“They’ve said it’s either 20 foot or book your flights home,” said Tom Saunders during an interview with IFL TV. “He (Billy Joe Saunders) wants to go home. We’re not going to take this bullshit anymore.”

Regardless of team Saunders standing their ground and threatening to walk, Ryder believes that their contest is simply too close to fall apart now.

“I think it’s smoke and mirrors. I think he’s going to get what he wants. You don’t come this far in a fight to let it go at the last minute, because of a couple of foot. It’s something that should have been settled at the start of negotiations. One of the first things. Sort out your purse, sort out the ring, sort out whether you are walking first or second, or whatever. It should have been tied up ages ago.”

For Ryder, the super middleweight contender was lauded for his efforts against then, WBC titlist Callum Smith in November of 2019. While he came up short on the scorecards, many who watched their contest believed he did more than enough to walk away with the win.

Given how much Ryder enjoys getting into a brawl, the smaller ring wouldn’t be an issue for him. And, more importantly, he’d be willing to step in to save the day as long as he’s compensated for it.

“Listen, I’d do it outside the pub on a Saturday night for free, so put a bit of financial motivation behind it, definitely.”

Posted on 05/03/2021

By: Hans Themistode

All of the hard work is complete for Billy Joe Saunders. The WBO super middleweight belt holder has spent the past several months whipping his body into the best shape humanly possible as he prepares to take on unified super middleweight champion, Canelo Alvarez, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas this coming weekend.

While Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) is satisfied with his preparation, he isn’t exactly pleased with what’s taking place behind the scenes. With the British native officially arriving in Dallas, he was given the opportunity to take a close look at the ring that both himself and Alvarez will be standing in come fight night.

To the untrained eye, things would appear to be fine, but for Saunders, the ring just doesn’t look right.

“There’s one or two small things now,” said Saunders during an interview with Behind The Gloves when discussing his issues with the event. “One of those small things and when I say small is the ring. I’ve left it to my team. I let them sort out all of that rubbish.

“You don’t go in a 70,000 seat stadium with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of feet long and now down to a 16-foot ring or a 18-foot ring or even a 20-foot ring. This magnitude of fight has to be on a fair playing field.”

According to reports, team Saunders is mystified by the size of the ring. Originally, the two-division titlist believed that his contest against Alvarez would take place in a ring that measured 24 ft. Now, however, the ring size is allegedly 20 ft.

For Saunders, the need to play by the rules has always been at the forefront of his mind. The crafty southpaw grew agitated several months ago once he was told that a British judge would not be allowed. Initially, Saunders said he was told by promoter Eddie Hearn that a British judge, as well as one of Mexican descent, would be ringside as well as a neutral judge.

While that appeared to be an issue at first, team Saunders fears were placated once it was revealed that there would be three neutral judges sitting ringside instead. Regarding their latest controversy, Saunders is simply hoping that things will be worked out quietly behind the scenes. Despite it all, the former two-division champion is merely looking for a 50/50 showdown with no excuses at the end of the night.

“Win, lose or draw if it’s fair, it’s fair. If I go in there and get knocked out in ten seconds, you can shake his hand and say look, he was the better man. If I go in there and knock him out in ten seconds, you can shake his hand as long as everything is fair for everybody. Including him and including me.”

Posted on 04/20/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For as long as Billy Joe Saunders has been around, the WBO super middleweight world champion has been loquacious. Yet, with the biggest fight of his life coming up rather quickly against unified titlist Canelo Alvarez, Saunders has been most been mostly quiet.

Rather than continue to egg Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) on, Saunders has chosen to put his head down and work hard in the gym. But while he has done exactly that, he’s noticed something fishy going on behind the scenes.

Long before the ink was dry on his contract to face Alvarez, promoter Eddie Hearn has discussed what’s next for the Mexican product. In all likelihood, an undisputed title fight against IBF champion, Caleb Plant. While fans of the sport were thrilled to hear the news, Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) has been left annoyed with all of the talk, and more importantly, he can’t understand why certain things he was promised have now changed.

“It’s a bit disappointing,” said Saunders during an interview with IFL TV. “He’s already planning venues for the Caleb Plant fight. F*ck the money, f*ck everything, I’m here to win. I did this deal under the basis of an English judge, an American judge, and a Mexican judge. When he came here the other day, he said there’s no English judge allowed. That’s unacceptable. That’s not a level playing field straight away but it is what it is. I’ve been very quiet but I’m not blind.”

Despite being thrilled with landing the opportunity to face Alvarez, Saunders has been watching carefully at what’s been going on. Throughout the career of the pound-for-pound star, Saunders has accused him of being on the right side of favorable judging. Now, with Saunders realizing that things could go against him, he views the entire situation as not only typical but also flat-out bull sh*t.

“I’m a straight man, if your my friend then your my friend and I would never do a friend wrong. When it comes to business I’m a very, very straight businessman and I stick to my word. If I signed on to fight for that basis but it changes, then it changes but it’s a whole load of bullocks.”

Favorable judging has been a constant theme during the career of Alvarez. Close showdowns against Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara and back-to-back contests against Gennadiy Golovkin all ended in favor of Alvarez. With Hearn continuing to plan the future of the Mexican product, Saunders is irate with the entire ordeal. With that said, he has a few plans of his own.

“When it comes to people making plans before this plan is over, it’s fixed already and the result is already made. We know there’s a lot of corruption in boxing but I can shatter all of those plans.”

Posted on 04/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. views a showdown between unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders as noncompetitive. The two are slated to face off on May 8th, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas on May 8th.

According to oddsmakers, Saunders is listed as a long shot to take the pound-for-pound star down. In the mind of Eubank Jr., the gambling world is right. In fact, the middleweight contender is so confident in Alvarez pulling off the win in destructive manner, that he intends on putting his money where his mouth is.

“Saunders is going to get hurt,” said Eubank Jr. during an interview with Talk Sport. “I’m going to be putting a £10,000 bet on Canelo to knock Saunders out. That’s what I think is going to happen. I think Saunders is going to get knocked out.”

Eubank Jr. picking against Saunders comes as no surprise. The two have a long history with one another dating back to a 2014 split decision that went in the favor of Saunders. Since then, Eubank Jr. won eight in a row before another speed bump in the road, this time against George Groves. Currently, Eubank Jr. is on a three-fight win streak and will look to make it four in a row when he takes on journeyman Marcus Morrison on May 1st.

With Saunders in possession of a world title and an undefeated record, he has seemingly earned his shot at the consensus best fighter in the world in Alvarez. Still, even with Saunders holding the upper hand against Eubank Jr., the middleweight contender doesn’t spend any time thinking about what happened in the past. As far as he’s concerned, their first fight happened another lifetime ago.

“I don’t really feel like Saunders has improved since he last fought me. I think he is the same guy. I am levels and levels above what I was when I first got into the ring with Saunders. I feel like he is the same guy; that guy can’t beat someone like Canelo.”

Speaking of who can beat Canelo Alvarez, Eubank Jr. believes the answer is clear. In his opinion, the only reason Alvarez has remained undefeated since his loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, is because the Mexican star simply hasn’t faced him in the ring yet.

“Somebody who is going to be successful against Canelo, you have to have a very different mindset, a very different approach to the average boxer. I don’t think Saunders has what it takes. I have what it takes, I know the way to beat Canelo. I’m sure I will get my shot within the next couple of years. But it is a very bad fight for Saunders and, if it happens, he is going to get knocked out.”

Posted on 04/05/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Bernard Hopkins can hear the criticism coming from all angles. The former two-division world champion and current partner of Golden Boy Promotions may not be involved in the handling of Canelo Alvarez and his career anymore, but he still notices what’s going on around him.

The Mexican star is currently in the midst of training camp as he prepares to return to the ring against WBO super middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders in a unification bout on May 8th. Although a win for Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) would bring him one step closer to becoming the first undisputed super-middleweight champion of all-time, fans have pelted him with constant criticism surrounding who he’s facing.

In December of 2020, Alvarez handed Callum Smith a one-sided beating and subsequently relieved him of his WBA and Ring magazine super-middleweight titles while also picking up the vacant WBC belt as well. The pound-for-pound star quickly followed that up with a laughable title defense against mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim. Alvarez wasted no time in casting him to the side with a third-round knockout win.

While he looked impressive, fans have grown tired of seeing Alvarez in predictable matchups. Hopkins though, simply raises his hands in the air and pleads for patience. The fights most of the world has been calling for are right around, just allow Alvarez to take care of business first.

“These fights are warranted and there meaningful,” said Hopkins during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Not for his legacy but for his restart, his recharge, his mind, his physical, his spiritual. What moves Canelo is to be active as much as he can. He’s fortunate to get in two fights on the backend of COVID. Most fighters, if not all, had to sit for nine to ten months.

“I’ve read some people have said he’s fighting nobodies but this is preseason for him. See, when you do preseason, it isn’t looked upon as the season. So look at Canelo as being in preseason. He has about one more preseason fight and then he will go right into the regular fighting season and you will see the matches.”

A win over Saunders would push Alvarez into the ring against IBF 168 pound belt holder Caleb Plant. The undefeated Tennessee native is someone that Hopkins respects. Former WBC titlist David Benavidez is another fighter that Hopkins holds in high regard as well. But neither of those aforementioned fighters he believes will give Alvarez his biggest challenge. In the mind of Hopkins, only a certain pugnacious knockout artist from Houston Texas can push Alvarez to his limits.

“Jermall Charlo, that’s the one I’m interested in.”

Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs), currently holds the WBC title one weight class in the middleweight division. Still, he’s stated on numerous occasions that he would have no issue making the eight-pound trek to the weight class of Alvarez in order to make their contest a reality.

Posted on 03/19/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders no longer have to wonder where their May 8th clash will take place.

Promoter Eddie Hearn sifted through several offers on the table and although they were all enticing, Hearn has settled upon AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas.

“This one is special!!!” Said Hearn on his Twitter account. “70,000 fans, Cinco de Mayo weekend!!! #CaneloSaunders huge unification lands at AT&T Stadium.”

While several other Arenas, including the newly built Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, was heavily considered, Texas became the most logical state to hold their bout. Last month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott removed all restrictions related to COVID-19, including the need for Texas residents to wear masks while also lifting restrictions that placed a certain cap on the number of individuals that were allowed to enter venues and businesses.

With those limitations removed, AT&T stadium and its ability to seat over 100,000 fans became the front runner. With that said, Hearn has capped the Arlington Texas Stadium to 70,000.

Saunders, 31, has long called for a shot against Alvarez. Following his latest win over Martin Murray on December 4th, 2020, the British native found himself in the driver’s seat to said showdown as Alvarez expressed a desire to become the first undisputed super-middleweight of all-time.

As for the Mexican star, he continues his trend of remaining active. In mid-December just last year, the pound-for-pound star dismantled former belt holder Callum Smith and was rewarded with the WBA, Ring Magazine and WBC 168 pound titles. He wasted no time in defending his titles as he made quick work of Avni Yildirim on February 27th, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida, knocking him out in the third round.

This will be the second trip for Alvarez to the lone star state. In September of 2016, Alvarez pummeled Liam Smith in front of a lively crowd of 51,420.

Posted on 03/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The date is set and the time is also locked in. The only thing remaining is the venue. Yet, according to reports, that appears to be on the verge of being settled upon as well.

As first reported by Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders will take place at either AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas, or Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Although both venues are currently being discussed, AT&T stadium could have the edge. Earlier this week, Texas governor Greg Abbott lifted the mask mandate. Meaning, residents of the state were no longer required to wear masks whenever they left their homes. In addition to that, Abbott also reopened businesses at 100% capacity.

While his ruling has been heavily criticized, Abbott has stuck to his guns. His stubbornness may have forced many to question his sanity but the amount of dollars that a fight in Texas could generate in an arena that could easily fill over 80,000 could edge his state ahead of Nevada where safety protocols are still in place.

For Alvarez, even with his showdown against Saunders roughly nine weeks away, the pound-for-pound star hasn’t begun his training camp just yet. Less than one week ago, the Mexican native pounded no-hoper Avni Yildirim via third-round stoppage at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida.

Following the easy win, Alvarez revealed that he would take only one week off before he got himself ready for Saunders.

As for the aforementioned Saunders, on the other hand, he last fought in December of 2020, easily outpointing former title challenger Martin Murray over 12 rounds.

Posted on 03/01/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Fighting on the elite level has provided fighters with more time for leisurely fun.

Normally, when a fighter first jumps onto the scene, they can find themselves fighting anywhere from five to ten times per year. Once they’ve established themselves on the very good to elite level, the ring appearances are few and far between. On most occasions, fighters at the very top of their respective divisions enter the ring twice during a calendar year. Others, elect to fight just once.

In short, after fighting for most of their lives, boxers enjoy sitting back and enjoying the fruits of their labor.

For Canelo Alvarez, having just taken care of business against Avni Yildirim via third-round stoppage this past weekend, the unified super middleweight champion has already secured his next opponent in Billy Joe Saunders. The two are locked in to face off on May 8th, ten weeks from now.

While that may seem like a quick turnaround for most, Alvarez revealed that he never usually takes a lot of time off.

“I’m always training,” said Alvarez following his knockout over Yildirim at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida. “I’m active. Just one week off and come back to train and get ready for May 8th.”

According to Alvarez, his normal workload of fighting twice a year will be changed this time around. With the win over Yildirim already in his back pocket and with Saunders up next, Alvarez said he expects to likely fight two more times this year. Those dates would be in September and then in December to close out the year.

In Saunders, Alvarez faces one of the more trickier styles in the entire division. The WBO titlist has gained the respect of both the Mexican star and his trainer, Eddy Reynoso.

“Saunders is a very difficult opponent,” said Alvarez. “He brings a lot of different qualities to the ring but I am a fighter with a lot of experience and I’ll be ready come May 8th.”

The British native was last in the ring in early December doing what he does best, outboxing his opponents and making them look silly as they missed shot after shot. Martin Murray, his most recent foe, continued that trend as he managed to win only two rounds on one judge’s scorecards but was completely shutout on the remaining two scorecards.

Performances such as those, has led Saunders to a showdown with the consensus best fighter in the world in roughly two and a half months.

Posted on 02/28/2021

By: Hans Themistode

At one point, the blueprint to defeating unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez was clear as day.

Keep your distance, incorporate a lot of movement and pot shot him all night long. In short, the Mexican star could be thoroughly outboxed.

Floyd Mayweather was the first to give users the key to open the door to beating Alvarez in 2013. Despite the suspect scorecards, Mayweather won in lopsided fashion. Erislandy Lara attempted to use the same tactics when they fought one year later. But while Alvarez was given the nod, the vast majority of the boxing public believes that he was given a huge gift when the Judes ruled their bout in his favor.

With Alvarez announcing that he will be taking on WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders on May 8th, many are under the assumption that Alvarez could be in true danger of picking up the second loss of his career.

While the skills of Saunders did at one point open the door to defeating the Mexican star, at this stage, Alvarez has changed the locks.

“I’m way better. Way better,” said Alvarez following his win over Avni Yildirim.

Alvarez, 30, made things look entirely too easy at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida last night. Yildirim, his WBC mandatory challenger, was thoroughly beaten down over the course of three rounds. Although it was impressive, supporters of Saunders will point to the pure boxing style of Saunders as opposed to the plodding, come-forward style of Yildirim.

The British native is fresh off a one-sided unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Martin Murray in late December. Following the win, Saunders did what he always does, meaning, he dared Alvarez to step up and face him.

For years now, Saunders has insisted that the pound-for-pound star built his resume on the backs of great fighters who were no longer at their peak by the time Alvarez got his hands on them.

At 31, Saunders is smack dab in the middle of his prime. That, along with his tricky style, is the reason why he believes Alvarez was always hesitant to face him.

Those sentiments however, were always considered laughable to Alvarez. If Saunders, or anyone else for that matter, believes that he has the same weaknesses that he had as a young fighter, they must not have been watching his progression all of these years.

“I’m a more mature fighter, I’m more a complete fighter. I have much more experience. I’m in my best moment.”

Posted on 02/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

No matter who you spoke to, they all said the same thing. That is, Avni Yildirim had no chance of defeating unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. Not only was he given virtually no chance at winning but the mere thought of the pair sharing the ring with one another was thought to be ludicrous. 

From the moment the opening bell rang, the thoughts of everyone was proven to be factual. 

Alvarez wasted no time in pummeling his man in front of a socially distanced crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida. 

For some perplexing reason, Yildirim simply walked forward and absorbed the punishing blows of his man without throwing anything back in return. 

With a clear round for Alvarez already in the bank, the pound for pound star turned things up a notch in round two, dropping his man with a clean one, two. While Yildirim managed to stumble back to his feet, he would take another pounding in round three. 

Throughout the duration of the round, the referee watched closely as Yildirim was taking a hellacious beating. By the time Yildirim walked back to his corner, his coaches had already made up their mind and pulled their man from the contest before the start of round four. 

With the win officially under his belt, Alvarez revealed what many of us already knew. That he was taking on WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders on May 8th.

Saunders was originally set to have a front row seat to watch Alvarez up close and personal, however, due to COVID-19 protocols and travel restrictions, the British native found it impossible to actually appear in Miami Florida in person.

The long time belt holder was always believed to be next for Alvarez, all that was needed was for the Mexican product to take care of business. 

Now, with his next opponent set in stone, Alvarez will look to add a third world title to the three currently draped around his shoulders. 

Posted on 02/25/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Some people believe it will be Caleb Plant. Others are under the impression that David Benavidez will be the one to get it done. A small contingent of fans speculates that Gennadiy Golovkin will eventually knock him off his high horse.

Regardless of how great any of those fighters are, promoter Eddie Hearn doesn’t believe any of them have much of a chance against unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. That said, he knows exactly who can get the job done.

“I’ll tell you one thing, if there’s anyone in the division that will beat or could beat Canelo Alvarez, I think it’s Billy Joe Saunders,” said Hearn during an interview with Fight Hub TV.

Hearn’s confidence in the WBO super middleweight titlist isn’t simply because of his undefeated record. No, having spent years watching Saunders over the course of his career, Hearn has witnessed the British product outbox opponents without seemingly breaking a sweat. That, and his tendency to not care who he’s facing on any night, is the reason why Hearn is firmly standing in his corner.

“He has the style and movement. He also has something different in his head, no fear. He’s an underdog in the fight of course but he’s a bit crazy. He won’t have fear and he’s slick.”

In just a few short months, Hearn will find out if he was spot on in his predictions, or if Alvarez will move one step closer to becoming the first undisputed super-middleweight of all time.

First things first however, Alvarez has to take care of business this Saturday night against Avni Yildirim at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida. While most are expecting the Turkish native to get annihilated, Hearn believes he has more than just a puncher’s chance.

“With Yildirim, no fear, he’ll let his hands go but that’s very dangerous. Yildirim can punch and has plenty of heart and guts. I know he’s a massive underdog but he’s not coming to survive. He knows the only way to beat Canelo is to fight fire with fire.”

Still, even with Hearn singing his praises, the long-time promoter ultimately believes that at some point, Alvarez will score the knockout win which would then subsequently lead to a unification contest between Alvarez and of course, Saunders.

“When Canelo knocks him out, we’ll go in the ring and celebrate.”