Saunders reacts to GGG dismissing him as “not serious” option

By Boxing News - 05/29/2019 - Comments

Image: Saunders reacts to GGG dismissing him as "not serious" option

By Charles Brun: Billy Joe Saunders has taken issue with Gennady Golovkin dismissing him as a worthy future opponent when asked by the media on Tuesday about his thoughts of facing Billy Joe in the future. Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) immediately shutdown any discussion of a fight with Saunders in the future by saying that he didn’t want to talk about him.

Golovkin says he only wants “serious” questions. In other words, Saunders (28-0, 13 KOs) wasn’t worthy of consideration as an opponent. Moments later, Golovkin said that Saunders can “get in line.”

“@GGGBoxing that’s a message from your manager a while back still waiting to see your signature #toSlick for you old man @TomLoeffler1,” said Saunders on his social media.

Saunders then posted this text message from Golovkin’s manager Tom Loeffler back on March 13, 2017:

“Agreement this week. Sorry for the delay. Just been hectic with this fight.”

Saunders has done little with his career since 2017

In the last two years, Saunders has beaten journeyman Charles Adamu, little known Shefat Isufi, Willie Monroe Jr. and David Lemieux. Those were low level fights. Additionally, Saunders tested positive for a banned performance enhancing substance in 2018, and subsequently vacated his World Boxing Organization middleweight title before he could be stripped of his belt. The match-making that has been done for Saunders has arguably stunted his career, leaving him a fighter without a huge fan base. Saunders wants fights against the big names, but he’s not positioned himself to get those fights with the mediocre opposition he’s faced.

For whatever reason, Loeffler opted not to make the fight between Golovkin and Saunders in 2017. It’s easy to see why Golovkin take the fight with Saunders. GGG defeated Daniel Jacobs by a 12 round unanimous decision on March 18, 2017 in close fight. After that fight, Loeffler was able to work a deal to match Golovkin against superstar Saul Canelo Alvarez for September 16, 2017. Saunders couldn’t compete with a popular fighter like Canelo to try and get a fight against GGG. It was no brainer for Golovkin to take the fight with Canelo.

Here’s what GGG said to the boxing media about Saunders on Tuesday:

“Let’s not talk about Saunders. Why talk about Saunders? If somebody wants to fight, we’ll consider it. They should all line up, form a line… Come on guys, he’s not serious. If you want serious, just ask me a serious question.”

Saunders with good chance to face Callum Smith

Make no mistake, Saunders does have excellent options for good fights at super middleweight against the likes of Callum Smith and David Benavidez. Those are fights that are possible for Saunders if he’s willing to take them. But it’s not likely that he’ll ever get a shot at Canelo Alvarez or GGG. Saunders has had too many years of soft match-making, and he’s failed to build his popularity to the level where it’s in the best interest for stars like GGG and Canelo to face him.

Saunders’ positive test for a performance enhancing substance [PEDs] last year may make it even tougher get GGG to fight him. Golovkin had his fill with Canelo testing positive for clenbuterol. The last thing GGG likely wants is to face another fighter that tested positive for PEDs in 2018.