By Ian Aldous: On Saturday September 16th, Willie Monroe Jr. (21-2) makes his second challenge for a world title when he battles the undefeated WBO king, Billy Joe Saunders (24-0), at the Copper Box Arena in London, live on BT Sport and Boxnation in the UK. This past Saturday, Monroe took part in a Facebook live video to answer questions submitted by myself and other media outlets.
By Scott Gilfoid: WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) spent the better part of Monday’s kickoff press conference telling #5 WBO Willie Monroe Jr. (21-2, 6 KOs) that he’s “mentally weak” ahead of their fight on September 16 at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.
By Dan Ambrose: As reported previously by Boxing News 24, WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders will be making his next defense against former world title challenger Willie Monroe Jr. (21-2, 6 KOs) on September 16 at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.
By Allan Fox: There’s talk that WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) will be making his next defense of his title against possibly #5 WBO Willie Monroe Jr. (21-2, 6 KOs) on September 16 at the Copper Box Arena in London, England. The fight hasn’t been confirmed, but there;’s a lot of talk that Monroe could be the guy Saunders faces.
By William Mackay: Former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux and current WBO 160 pound belt holder Billy Joe Saunders traded insults on social media on Tuesday in taking jabs at one another. Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs) wants to fight the 27-year-old Saunders in his next fight, and the feelings seem mutual.
By Scott Gilfoid: WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) ripped into middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and challenger Avandil Khurtsidze (33-2-2, 22 KOs) at a press conference to hype his fight on July 8 at the Georgian fighter at the Copper Box Arena in London, England. Saunders said that Golovkin didn’t look his best against his last opponent Danny Jacobs in their fight last March because he was drug tested 5 times, and that it was a “fair playing field” for the fight. Saunders said he could be wrong in his opinion on Golovkin. Saunders also questioned whether his opponent Khurtsidze has ever taken drugs before in the past.
Andre Rozier, trainer of newly-crowned WBO Interim World Middleweight Champion Avtandil Khurtsidze, believes his man will ‘beat down’ undefeated Hatfield star Billy Joe Saunders when the pair face-off for the full WBO crown.
Khurtsidze – a short, stocky beast of a boxer – silenced the Leicester Arena crowd on Saturday by heavily flooring Birmingham’s Tommy Langford with a brutal left hand early in the fifth round to secure the vacant Interim strap.
By Scott Gilfoid: Tyson Fury is talking about resuming his boxing career in 2 months from now on the undercard of the Billy Joe Saunders vs. Avtandil Khurtsidze card in London, England on July 8. The 29-year-old Fury revealed the news on his Twitter account. Fury taking the shotgun approach to his comeback by spitting out different comeback dates left and right, none of which Gilfoid believes. Fury is still very heavy. Last month, he said he was weighing 350 pounds. I wouldn’t be surprise if he hasn’t lost any of that weight.
By Scott Gilfoid: Avtandil Khurtsidze (33-2-2, 22 KOs) sent a lightning bolt through the British boxing community last Saturday night with his devastating 5th round knockout win over Tommy Langford (18-1, 6 KOs), and now he’s ready to fight for a world title against WBO middleweight strap holder Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) next on July 8 in London, England. Khurtsidze’s promoter Lou Dibella says Saunders seemed “worried” after hearing of the news of how Langford was blasted out by his fighter in their fight last weekend.
By Scott Gilfoid: A pudgy-looking WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders had to be restrained from attacking newly crowned interim WBO champion Avtandil Khurtsidze (33-2-2, 22 KOs) last Saturday night at the post-fight press conference following the Georgian’s 5th round knockout victory over Saunders’ stable-mate Tommy Langford (18-1, 6 KOs) at the Leicester Arena, Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.