Billy Joe Saunders 30-1 (14) could be tempted back into the ring for a rematch against Chris Eubank Jr 30-2 (22) – but only is someone ponies up £5million to pay him.
The former WBO middleweight and super middleweight titleholder lost his 168-pound belt in a unification bout against WBC and WBA champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 56-1-2 (38) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in May.
Southpaw Saunders boxed well against Alvarez in spots but was eventually broken down and stopped when the Mexican superstar landed a well-timed right uppercut to his face that shattered his right orbital. Saunders’ corner stopped the fight between rounds at the end of the eighth.
Saunders won the first and fifth rounds on all three judges’ scorecards. Judge Tim Cheatham also gave him the seventh.
In the wake of his first professional loss the 32-year-old Brit has considered retirement now that he has enough money in the bank to live a comfortable life.
“At the end of the day, I’m 31 years old, if I don’t ever wanna work again, wanna sit back, wanna chill, I can do that,” Saunders said to talkSPORT in June.
“I’m 31, I haven’t took no punishment, I haven’t been battered from pillar to post, brain dead and can’t put a sentence together, so I need to sit back and look at my options.
“Because the options have to weigh up – the thought of me just coming in and fighting for a world rating or something, belts don’t feed the kids.
“Everything would have to stack up and [be] the right fight.”
Saunders added he wasn’t sure what the future hold for him.
“I’m there to go on all night. When we step in that ring, that’s our lives and I’m willing to put down the life,” Saunders continued.
“But never in my life would I ever say, ‘Nah, I’m finished, I’m done.’
“I boxed a minute and 20 seconds with a broken eye socket, a broken cheekbone in three places.
“A minute and 20 seconds is alright fighting the average man, but when you’re fighting the best man on the planet, I could’ve easily opted out but I never.
“That was the cornerman’s decision. It is what it is, I can’t argue with that.”
Now it seems Saunders could be tempted to return to the ring against old foe Eubank Jr.
The British pair first met in the ring almost seven years ago when Saunders was 20-0 and Eubank Jr was 18-0 in a British, European and Commonwealth middleweight title fight.
Saunders won that bout by split decision with scores of 115-113, 115-114 and 113-116.
“5m and I will come back and spank you once again, man down.” Saunders posted to Eubank Jr on Twitter.
Eubank Jr is scheduled to face Sven ‘Batman’ Elbir 18-1 (14) at Wembley Stadium in London on October 2 as part of BOXXER’s new partnership with Sky Sports.
