Boxing

Billy Joe Saunders promised dream bout with Gennady Golovkin or Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez

Billy Joe Saunders has been promised a dream bout with either Gennady Golovkin or Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez provided he beats Artur Akavov to retain the WBO middleweight title.

Golovkin sounded out Saunders for a fight following his fifth-round stoppage of Kell Brook at the O2 Arena last month, stating he would be willing to come back to London.

Mexican great Canelo represents another exciting option for the unbeaten Saunders, with either fight bound to represent a career-high purse for the Briton.

However, Saunders – who is unbeaten in 23 professional fights – has been warned by promoter Frank Warren that he must first defeat Akavov in Cardiff on October 29, as his belt holds the key to landing the big fights.

“Yes. Provided he wins he will fight one of those guys [Golovkin or Canelo], 100 per cent,” Warren told Sky Sports.

“If he loses then he won’t. He’s got nothing to bring to the table; he’s got to bring the belt.

“He needs to just focus on this fight: looking ahead is not where he needs to be. He needs to get the ring rust out of his system. After that we can get things moving.”

Saunders, who was originally scheduled to fight on the undercard of the cancelled Tyson Fury versus Wladimir Klitschko bout, would prefer to face the fearsome Golovkin.

“I want to see how good I am,” he said. “In my own head, I know I’ll beat him. I’m not the one to walk into that arena and think ‘it’s Golovkin here. It’s going to be a good pay day but I’m going to get beat up’.

“No way, because I wouldn’t take that fight. I’ve earned what I set out to earn, it’s not about that anymore. It’s to see how good I am.”

 

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