By Scott Gilfoid: #3 WBO, #5 WBC, #8 IBF, #13 WBA Billy Joe Saunders (19-0, 10 KOs) will be facing fringe contender #13 IBF, #15 WBC Emanuele Blandamura (22-0, 5 KOs) in a fight for the vacant European middleweight title on Saturday night in the co-feature fight on the Tyson Fury vs. Alexander Ustinov card at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, UK.
Saunders, who is all of 24, wants a title shot against the likes of WBC champ Miguel Cotto or WBO champion Peter Quillin. Indeed, Saunders like his chances of beating either of those guys, and he doesn’t rate 40-year-old IBF champ Sam Soliman.
“Cotto didn’t shock me beating Sergio Martinez; Martinez’s performance shocked me. He looked an old man. I’d have loved to have been in the ring with him that night. Cotto’s style is perfect for mine. He’s constantly in your face and he ain’t the best of boxers.”
Cotto’s style is perfect for Saunders? Oh boy, now I’ve heard them all. I remember the last time Saunders fought, he went life and death with John Ryder in beating him by a narrow 12 round unanimous decision last September by the scores of 115-114, 115-113 and 115-113. I had Ryder winning that fight. I don’t consider Ryder as being anywhere near the same level as Cotto, which makes me surprised that Saunders feels that Cotto’s style is perfect for him. I consider Daniel Jacobs as being far better than Saunders due to his power, speed and talent advantage.
Saunders said “I get confidence just from looking at the reigning champions. I’m not ready for (Gennady) Golovkin yet, I admit that, but I’d not be shy of going in with any of the others. Jarrod Fletcher is going for the WBA title yet I blew him out in two rounds. Like Murray and Macklin at domestic level, they’re all getting old while I’m maturing and growing. Look what I’m already capable of now and then consider what I’ll be like in another 12 months.”
Saunders did beat Fletcher by a 2nd round knockout in 2012, but then again no one has been getting excited about Fletcher. I mean, he’s facing Jacobs for the vacant WBA World middleweight title next month on August 9th, but that’s the WBA’s fault for ranking Fletcher so high following his loss to Saunders. The ranking the WBA gave Fletcher makes absolutely no sense to me. If they’re going to give Fletcher a No.1 ranking, then why didn’t they do that for Saunders, the guy that beat him? It makes no sense and I give Fletcher zero chance of beating a talent like Joshua. We’re probably talking 1st round knockout in this fight for Joshua.
“Sam Soliman should never be a world champion at 40 years old,” Saunders said. “Quillin is strong and punches harder than me but technically, I’ve forgotten more than he’ll ever learn. He’s not in my class. When I have to turn it on, I beat him ten times out of ten.”
Gee, I wonder what Quillin will say if he knew that Saunders thinks he’s not in his class. Saunders doesn’t have the power to hang around with a puncher like Quillin in my estimation. It would be fun to watch the fight though.
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