By Dan Ambrose: Billy Joe Saunders and Jermell Charlo went at it on social media on Saturday in trading trash talk. The dispute appears to have begun after someone posted an old video clip of one of the Charlo brothers insulting Saunders by calling him a “trash of a fighter.”
Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs), who holds the WBO super middleweight title, then reacted to the slight by one of the Charlos by calling him a “bum,” then saying that they never fight anyone well known.
Billy Joe also said he would slap one of the Charlo. However, he still doesn’t know which of the Charlo brothers insulted him in the first place because they both look and sound alike.
Charlo slams Saunders
“Billy Joe Saunders, is a complete trash of a fighter to me,” said Charlo.
Saunders then came back with this comment aimed towards the Charlo brother that had slammed him:
“You big Bum you won’t box no one. I don’t even know which mistake of a brother you are but I’ll slap you boy!” said Saunders on Twitter.
“Dumb b****. Let me know when you in America again.. I got a surprise for you & ya son,” said Jermell to Saunders.
The chances of Saunders and Jermell fighting each other are virtually nill, unfortunately, as they compete in two divisions apart. Charlo isn’t going to come up to 168 to fight Saunders. Likewise, Billy Joe won’t boil down to 154 to fight Jermell.
The only way a fight between one of the Charlo brothers and Sanders would work out is if Jermall Charlo, the twin that holds the WBC middleweight title, moved up to 168 to take on Saunders.
Jermell Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) holds the WBC junior middleweight title, and he’s scheduled to face IBF/WBA 154lb champion Jeison Rosario (20-1-1, 14 KOs) next month on Showtime pay-per-view at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
If the 30-year-old Charlo loses this fight, which is highly possible given his recent track record, he’ll have lost two out of his last three matches, and his career will be in the wrong way.
Billy Joe wants a big payday fight
Saunders moved up to 168 last year and won the vacant WBO super middleweight title in beating Shefat Isufi by a lackluster 12 round decision. Saunders was severely hurt at one point in the fight and needed to clinch his way out of the round.
In Saunders’ first defense of his newly won WBO 168lb belt, he defeated fringe contender Marcelo Esteban Coceres by a come from behind 11th round knockout on November 9th last year in Los Angeles, California.
In both fights at super middleweight, Saunders has looked slow, weak, and not the same fighter he was at middleweight. Based on those fights, Billy Joe doesn’t seem well-suited to the 168lb division and should consider moving back down to 160 before he starts losing to the contenders.
Some believe that Saunders moved up to super-middleweight to avoid fighting Demetrius Andrade, who was his #1 contender at the time he vacated his WBO 160lb title last year.
Saunders probably won’t do that though, as he’s trying to get fights against Canelo Alvarez and Callum Smith at 168.