Home Boxing News Billy Joe Saunders promises to use his brain to defeat Canelo Alvarez...

Billy Joe Saunders promises to use his brain to defeat Canelo Alvarez like Floyd Mayweather did

Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders. Photo credit: The Sun

WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders 30-0 (14) is supremely confident that he has the boxing IQ to defeat WBC and WBA 168-pound champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 55-1-2 (37) on May 8.

The 30-year-old Alvarez defeated previously undefeated Brit Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith 27-1 (19) on points in December before battering Turkish mandatory contender Avni Yildirim 21-3 (12) into submission in three rounds in February.

British southpaw Saunders, 31, says he is going to execute a similar gameplan against Alvarez that Floyd Mayweather did, the only boxer to defeat the Mexican superstar as a pro. That fight took place in September 2019 when Alvarez was just 23.

“I’m the seventh Brit he’s faced, he’s dealt with six of them very comfortably. The Brits like dancing and moving and thinking they’ve gotta run away, but I will be there for him to hit. I will be in range for him to hit,” Saunders told talkSPORT.

“I’ll be setting traps, the same as he’ll be setting traps. I don’t think running a million miles an hour is gonna do me any justice… He’s not got the best engine in the world, Canelo. He’s very good at what he does, extremely good at what he does, but there’s faults there.

“We’ve seen people try to run away and box him, we’ve seen people try to use the brawn, but we’ve only seen one man use his brain and that was Floyd Mayweather.

“Brain over brawn here. Brain wins this, technical thinking wins this.”

The only thing Saunders is hoping for is a level playing field if the fight goes to the cards.

“This is the way I look at it – you have to win every moment, every second in that ring when that bell goes. I’m prepared to put everything down, all of the chips down. As long as I get a fair decision then I believe in my heart of hearts that the job is definitely not an impossible job,” Saunders said.

“People go on about how good he is, how great he is. But let’s not forget he’s been beat [by Floyd Mayweather] and he got beat in the first fight with [Gennadiy] Golovkin as well I thought. Let’s just hope that it’s all a fair playing field in and out the ring, and we can get to work.”

Another boxer who gives Saunders a real chance is British heavyweight Dereck ‘War’ Chisora 32-10 (23).

“Billy [Joe Saunders] has been waiting for that fight for a long, long time and now he’s got the opportunity,” Chisora said to iFL TV.

“Billy has always wanted that fight since he was with Frank. That’s why he left Frank to be with Eddie so that he can get that fight.

“So the fight is happening now, it’s there for him, and it’s up to him now. Everybody has got a chance.

“He’s got to come mind-strong, prepared and don’t be phased by anything. But knowing Billy, he won’t be phased by anything, so I’m happy for him to get it.”