By Brinsley Bailey: The upcoming British & Commonwealth title clash between unbeaten Middleweight pair, Billy Joe Saunders (18-0, 10 KOs) and John Ryder (15-0, 9 KOs), has the potential to be a British classic. Both southpaws have a vast array of skills, decent power and intangible qualities that have kept that all important ‘0’ on the record.

Like many fans, writers and commentators, I am finding it tough to pick a winner of the two; however I have never sat on the fence before and do not plan to now! I will aim to provide a breakdown of skills and ability to determine a potential winner (I am very rarely wrong but it has happened in the past so do not use this as a betting guide!)

Experience/Recent Form:

Both fighters have a superb amateur pedigree and have impressed in the professional ranks. Ryder had 30 wins from 35 fights as an amateur and won two ABA National Senior Novice titles. As a professional he is unbeaten in 15 contests but has only fought limited opposition, with the exception coming in his most impressive win against Eamonn O’Kane (10-1, 3 KO’s). Furthermore, Ryder has never gone the full twelve-round distance and as such his stamina is under question. Saunders as an amateur amassed an impressive 49 fight unbeaten run and was chosen to compete for Team GB in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As a professional he is an undefeated British & Commonwealth Champion and has some notable wins on his CV such as Bradley Pryce (34-13, 18 KO’s), Matthew Hall (25-7, 16 KO’s) and Nick Blackwell (13-2, 6 KO’s). Although Ryder has an impressive background, Saunders has boxed at the highest level as an amateur, has fought better fighters at this stage in his career and is the current Champion. Saunders is the clear winner of this category.

Power:

Both fighters have demonstrated they carry a lot of power in either hand. Saunders, early in his career, looked terrific in stopping some very durable fighters. In recent fights he has still demonstrated that ‘pop’ in his punches to keep the likes of Hall and O’Sullivan on the back foot but at the same time he is obviously wary of his previous hand issues and appears to rely on his ability & speed rather than throw with authority. Ryder is most comfortable coming forward and has a variety of menacing shots in his arsenal. He always has a solid foundation and sound technique, which results in destructive power. Ryder’s most high profile win against O’ Kane showed that his sneaky right hook and straight left hand combo from the southpaw stance has concussive power. Although neither fighter demonstrates one-punch KO ability at the top level, their power is nothing to scoff at and it provides their opponents with all types of problems. Although Saunders has mixed with a higher caliber of fighter, I think in the back of his mind he is still worried about his hand durability and knowingly or unknowingly reserves the force on his shots. Ryder on the other hand (excuse the pun) has no such problems and as demonstrated by his recent record (3 stoppages in last 4 fights) has shown that he is willing to throw the power punches. In this category I am giving the edge to Ryder.

Speed:

Saunders has terrific hand speed and always picks his punches well both upstairs & downstairs. He defence is also strong as he has quick & elusive head movement combined with fast footwork. These skills were all evident in Saunders last outing against Gary O’Sullivan, where he bamboozled and frustrated the Irishman with intimidating speed. Ryder has reasonable hand speed and decent footwork to support his power and sound boxing ability. However, he does like to sit down on his shots and there are openings for counter punches. His defensive movement is not the quickest and I believe Saunders can take advantage of this. Therefore in this department, Saunders has the upper hand.

Head Trainers:

Ryder has the experienced Colin Lake in his corner on Saturday night. Lake is unlike many current Head Trainers who have a stable of boxers as he insists on only training one fighter. Though his professional training record is not stellar, he led Colin Dunne to a WBU title and is a respected Amateur coach. Ryder has been a student of Lake’s since his amateur days and they have worked well together over the years, as shown by Ryder’s current record. Saunders has developed extremely well under the tutelage of Jimmy Tibbs since the start of his professional career in 2009. Tibbs brings a lot of experience to the table as he has trained many talented fighters over the years, including Barry McGuigan, Frank Bruno and Nigel Benn. Consequently, I believe he has more knowledge and a better track record at the top level than his counterpart. This will serve Saunders well come fight night.

Intangible Qualities:

Neither fighter has been highly tested or put into deep water at this point in there respective careers. Ryder’s most challenging win against O’Kane showed he can handle a strong come-foward fighter and take decent punches yet his heart and determination has not been tested. Similarly, Saunders has not been tested and although he fought a hard contest against Nick Blackwell, he has yet to show what he will do when his back is truly against the wall. That is not a criticism of either fighter, rather, I am highlighting that they have not met opponents that have forced them to draw on more than their boxing ability. Therefore I score this category a Draw.

The Prediction:

I think this fight will take a few rounds to get going, as both southpaws will be tentative from the outset as they look to follow their game plans and try not to fully engage. Saunders will take the early rounds boxing on the back foot using fast combinations and ducking in & out of range. But from round 3 onwards I expect fireworks as I can see Ryder work the body, cut off the ring and try to make the fight a close quarters affair in the mid-rounds, causing a few problems for Saunders and catching him with solids blows. However, I think Ryder’s lack of quality experience will hinder him as the fight goes on and by the mid to late rounds, Ryder stamina issues may cause him to get timed by Saunders quick hands. Saunders TKO (8-10).

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