With Canelo Alvarez now having blown past Avni Yildirim and officially announced a May 8 super middleweight unification fight with Billy Joe Saunders, we’re all free to move forward to a much more interesting matchup — and it’s one where the underdog Saunders believes he’s the only man who can beat Canelo.
“Canelo, I’m ready to rock and roll,” said Saunders. “You have to dare to be great and you aren’t going to be a great if you don’t beat the greats. I believe I am the only one with the footwork, know-how, skill-set, mindset and brain to unlock that door in Canelo.
“He’s the main man in the sport and the face of boxing. You have to give him respect, he hasn’t ducked anyone, he’s beaten good names, but nobody is unbeatable, and I believe I have got the tools to beat him if I use them properly and if the game plan comes off that I believe works.”
WBO titleholder Saunders (30-0, 14 KO) will be looking to add the WBC and WBA belts against Canelo (55-1-2, 37 KO), and sees himself having an advantage, believing there’s less wear and tear on his body.
“I am looking at the golden ticket to cement my legacy, and that’s how you have to go in there to beat him,” Saunder said. “I’ve won everything from Southern Area to world titles, I could say, ‘I’ve won it all, been to the Olympics, I’m unbeaten — I’ll see you later’.
“But I’ve only just turned 31, I’ve got no miles on the clock, haven’t taken any punishment. I believe he’s been in harder fights than me and has more miles, so I want to cement my legacy and beat him.”