BILLY Joe Saunders’ fighting life reaches its crescendo this weekend when, in front of 70,000 hostile Mexicans, he will attempt to knock the crown from the head of boxing’s number one pound-for-pound star Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in Arlington, Texas.
The 31-year-old from Hertfordshire, a Team GB Olympian in Beijing in 2008, is already a two-weight world champion with a formidable 30-0 record. A diligent southpaw with real fight IQ, WBO champ Saunders is a match for anybody at 168lb (12 stone).
However, across the ring on Saturday night isn’t just anybody or just another challenger or champion for that matter. Alvarez is the number one boxer in the sport today on merit. A four-weight world champion, the 30-year-old is active, aggressive and at his fighting peak.
Back in December he won practically every round against Callum Smith, relieving the Liverpudlian of his world and Ring magazine title belts to take the super-middleweight summit. The year before that, he knocked out former light-heavyweight kingpin Sergey Kovalev in 11 rounds too.
A terrific counterpuncher who now just as readily enjoys stalking opponents on the front foot, Canelo lands heavy body punches whilst slipping off the centre line tanks to sound head movement and precise footwork. Alvarez could be the most complete fighter in the sport today.
His latest outing was as much farce as it was formality. Turkish patsy Avni Yildrim paid the price of boxing’s ludicrous rankings system to find himself in the crosshairs. Full training camp no longer required, Canelo rushed him in and out of the ring back in February to set up Saturday’s Cinco de Mayo weekend unification with Saunders.
But what Canelo can be sure of in Texas is he’s facing a man who actually believes he can win. Sounds crazy, but when an athlete is tasked with unseating a pound-for-pound king one characteristic above all else is required: fearlessness.
First face off in Dallas!!! #CaneloSaunders @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/DgRTAHaRAX
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) May 5, 2021
All prizefighters are brave. All champions tough. But to compete without fear is not necessarily a pre-requisite of being a fighter. In fact, it’s a trait many world champions still aspire towards.
Billy Joe is fearless. It’s a cultural characteristic he’s had running through his veins since being born into the Romanichal traveller community. Rather like close friend and heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Saunders hasn’t trained to become a fighter – he was born to be one.
Nerves will not get the better of Billy Joe on Saturday night. Fear will not inhibit his performance and allow Alvarez to run away with a one-sided points decision, like he has done against so many champions before. And there is certainly no quit in this Brit either.
The biggest stumbling block for Saunders is his lack of power. He’s stopped less than half of his opponents and is bereft of one-punch knockout potency. That really becomes an issue against an opponent as excellent as Canelo.
Billy Joe can box for days and most certainly has the southpaw skills to win rounds. But to defeat a great champion like Canelo it’s important to hurt him, sting him hard and fast, make him second-guess his offense and hang onto his defence. Without that threat the challenge ahead is practically unattainable.
TIP: Canelo Alvarez on Points
