By Scott Gilfoid: #1 WBO middleweight contender Billy Joe Saunders (21-0, 11 KOs) passed up a fight against Hassan N’Dam in what would have been a battle for the vacant IBF 160 pound title. Instead of taking that fight, Saunders wants to face the winner of the April 11th bout between WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee and former WBO champion Peter Quillin.
Saunders is hoping that Lee will beat Quillin so that it sets up what would likely be a nice money fight between Saunders and Lee. The only problem with this idea is that Lee is likely to get beaten by Quillin, which means that instead of Saunders facing Lee, he’ll be fighting the hard hitting Quillin for the WBO title.
That’s obviously not a good match-up for Saunders due to Quillin’s hand speed, power, boxing skills and experience. We just saw Saunders struggle badly to beat fellow UK fighter Chris Eubank Jr. last November in a 12 round split decision victory. It was not an impressive performance by Saunders, and many boxing fans saw Eubank Jr winning that fight, as did I.
“I have done a deal with WBO and if I went for IBF that deal don’t happen love to fight for it but rules ‘ so stick to my plan,” Saunders said on his twitter.
Saunders can stick with his plan, but I think it’s going to wind up costing him big time when he faces the hard hitting Quillin if he’s the one that emerges victorious in the Lee-Quillin fight on 4/11.
As for N’Dam, he could face middleweight contender David Lemieux next if he’s or his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions are willing to make that fight, which I highly doubt.
“Billy Joe Saunders has passed on the offer to fight IBF no.1 Hassan N’Dam for the vacant 160lb title. Next in line is Canadian David Lemieux,” said N’Dam’s manager Gary Hyde.
I could have predicted that Saunders would pass up the N’Dam fight, because he no doubt wants to fight Lee at any costs, and even if there’s a tiny chance of him fighting him, Saunders is going to go in the direction of that fight.
If he went after N’Dam, chances are he’d get out-boxed and would lose a 12 round decision. Saunders doesn’t have the punching power to put N’Dam on the canvas again and again like Quillin did in his six-knockdown victory over N’Dam in 2012. As such, Saunders would be forced to match his speed against N’Dams, and that’s obviously not a fight that Saunders would have a good chance of winning.
“I have a signed contract with the WBO to fight the winner out of Lee and Quillin and I want to go down that route,” Saunders said in a press release. “I’m in boxing to prove that I’m a great and bring more world titles back to Britain so I hope that the IBF title is one the I can challenge for in the future in some big unification fights.”
I hope Saunders has a good plan-B option for his career if he gets whipped by the winner of the Lee vs. Quillin fight, because he’s going to need to choose wisely after that fight if he loses. I mean, Saunders can’t afford to suffer consecutive losses by any means. He’s going to need to rebuild his career, and not look to face N’Dam or Lemieux or whoever winds up facing N’Dam for the IBF strap.
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