Home Boxing News Billy Joe Saunders expected to face Canelo Alvarez in the summer

Billy Joe Saunders expected to face Canelo Alvarez in the summer

Billy Joe Saunders

Promoter Eddie Hearn is confident that Billy Joe Saunders 29-0 (14) will still get his shot at Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 53-1-2 (36) even if the fight doesn’t take place until the summer.

WBO super middleweight champion Saunders was expected to face world middleweight champion on May 2 but the coronavirus pandemic has forced the bout to be pushed back.

Alvarez had reportedly struck a deal to face old rival Gennady Golovkin on September 13 but with boxing effectively shutdown for the foreseeable future, that fight too looks like it will need to be moved to a later date.

“Billy Joe at the minute has a deal in place to fight Canelo. Everything now depends on when the sport begins, because that fight was supposed to take place on Cinco de Mayo,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

“Will boxing return in June, July? If it does, there’s every chance that Billy Joe Saunders will fight Canelo Alvarez in that period, and the date of the Golovkin fight will be put back. I think with the whole disruption, the old Cinco de Mayo and September 13 weekend will have to take a back seat.

Saunders moved up in weight to claim the vacant WBO strap against unheralded Shefat Isufi last May before successfully defending against Marcelo Esteban Coceres in Las Angeles in November.

The 30-year-old southpaw is already in camp in the US.

“Right now, Billy Joe Saunders is actually in Vegas, training,” the Matchroom Boxing boss continued.

“We were supposed to have a press conference on Monday, to announce the Canelo Alvarez fight. He’s out training with Ben Davison and Josh Taylor, who has just had his fight postponed for May 2 as well.

“It’s the moment where you’ve got to stay focused, you’ve got to stay disciplined. I believe Billy Joe Saunders will fight Canelo Alvarez, as long as the boxing schedule returns in the summer.”