Billy Joe Saunders vs Russia’s Artur Akavov on Oct 22

09/30/2016 by Boxing News

saunders

Undefeated WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0 12 KOs) will make the first defence of his title against Russia’s Artur Akavov (16-1 7 KOs) on Frank Warren’s mouth-watering October 22 Motorpoint Arena Cardiff show, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Last December, Saunders defeated Irish hero Andy Lee to take his WBO crown in a close and absorbing fight in Manchester that saw the Hatfield star floor the former champion twice in the third round and go on to claim a majority decision from the judges.

Billy Joe Saunders to fight on October 22

09/26/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: Billy Joe Saunders will be defending his WBO middleweight title next month against an opponent still to be determined on October 22 at the Motorpoint Arena, in Cardiff, Wales. The fact that the 27-year-old Saunders still doesn’t have an opponent for the fight isn’t the greatest news for boxing fans, because it suggests that it might be an underwhelming name that he winds up facing.

Saunders’ opponent will be announced later this week. The two names that have been mentioned as being in the running for the fight are #7 Rob Brant and #11 WBO Artur Akavov. Having seen both of those fighters in action, I’m predicting that Saunders will wind up facing the 28-year-old Akavov, as he looks to be by FAR the worst of the two candidates. It’s not even close, which is why I see Akavov getting the job.

Team Golovkin wants Saunders after Jacobs fight

09/19/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: If WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders is serious about wanting to fight the talented IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin in the near future, then the fight is there to be had as soon as GGG gets done with his WBA ordered fight against Daniel Jacobs.

Golovkin’s representative Oleg Hermann is interested in having him face Saunders if the interest is serious on the part of the British fighter. Hermann isn’t sure if Saunders really wants the Golovkin fight or if he’s just talking.

Saunders’ next opponent – Artur Akavov or Rob Brant

09/14/2016 by Boxing News

By Allan Fox: WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders’s opponent for his next fight on October 29 will be either #7 WBO Rob Brant (21-0, 14 KOs) or #11 Artur Akavov (16-1, 7 KOS) for the undercard of the Tyson Fury vs. Wladimir Klitschko II card at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, UK.

This is a disappointment to say the least that one of these two guys will wind up being Saunders’ next opponent, because he could have been fighting the like of Gabriel Rosado, Willie Monroe Jr. or Curtis Stevens on the undercard of the Saul Canelo Alvarez vs. Liam Smith card this Saturday night on HBO pay-per-view from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

If Saunders had faced one of them, then he could have gotten a fight against Canelo, according to Dan Rafael. It would have been a huge fight for Saunders to fight Canelo, and all he would have had to do to get it would have been for him to beat the likes of Rosado, Stevens or Monroe.

Rosado slams Billy Joe Saunders

09/14/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: #10 WBO Gabriel Rosado (23-9, 13 KOs) says he sees WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) as someone who is just trying to make money off his World Boxing Organization 160lb title rather than looking to fight the best guys. Saunders recently rejected a fight against Rosado for the undercard of the Saul Canelo Alvarez vs. Liam Smith undercard for this Saturday.

Rosado doesn’t understand the move by Saunders by turning down a fight against him, because he could have earned a fight against Canelo if he had accepted the fight and won.

Golovkin’s promoter targeting Saunders, Eubank and DeGale

09/13/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: Tom Loeffler, the promoter for IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin wants to bring him back to the UK in the near future to match him against one of the following British fighters: Billy Joe Saunders, Chris Eubank Jr. and James DeGale. Golovkin has already been ordered by the World Boxing Association to defend his title against WBA ‘regular’ middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs within 120 days, so that looks like it’s going to be happening next for Golovkin.

If Golovkin gets past Jacobs, then there’s a possibility that he could be coming back to the UK to fight the likes of Saunders, Eubank or DeGale. Saunders is the first priority for Golovkin, because he’ the WBO middleweight champion, and that’s the last remaining 160lb title not in Golovkin’s possession. He would like to win that belt so that he can have all the titles in his possession.

Billy Joe Saunders calls out Gennady Golovkin

09/11/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: It looks like IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) won’t have any problems getting his unification fight against World Boxing Organization 160lb champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs), because Saunders created a video today calling Golovkin out for his next fight. Saunders, 26, saw Golovkin’s fight against the pumped up welterweight Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) last night, and he wasn’t all that impressed with what he saw from GGG. Saunders says he saw flaws in his game that he thinks he can take advantage of, and he DEFINITELY wants to fight Golovkin next.

Billy Joe Saunders’ next fight to be announced on Monday

09/03/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: After sitting idle for the past nine months, World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) finally will have his next fight announced this Monday by his promoter Frank Warren. There is no word about who that opponent will be, but given that Saunders is in the running for a big money fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in December, it’s quite likely that he won’t be fighting anyone good.

Saunders was supposed to fight little known fringe contender Max Bursak last July, but he suffered a hand injury that wiped that fight out. Saunders was then offered fights against Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, Willie Monroe Jr. and Gabriel Rosado, but he didn’t take any of those fights.

Golovkin to Saunders: “I need WBO belt!”

08/25/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) recently got Saul Canelo” Alvarez’s World Boxing Council title after he chose to cough it up rather than fight him, and now Golovkin is targeting WBO 160lb champion Billy Joe Saunders after the Kell Brook fight. Saunders, 26, has the last remaining middleweight title not in Golovkin’s pressure and he badly wants that belt so that he can hold all the titles in his possession. I have a feeling that Saunders will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the ring before he’d ever fight someone dangerous Golovkin.

Getting Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) to fight him may prove to be impossible, because he appears to be waiting for Canelo to fight him in December. That’s the fight that is being talked about. Canelo is expected to move up to middleweight after he makes light work of WBO 154lb strap holder Liam Smith on September 17, and it’s unlikely that Smith will be any problem for him.

Saunders still offering Eubank Jr. an 80-20 split

08/23/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: Well, it looks like you can add Chis Eubank Jr’s name to the list of fighters that WBO middleweight belt holder Billy Joe Saunders won’t be fighting anytime soon. Saunders is offering Eubank Jr. a small 80-20 revenue split for a rematch between them, and it looks like he’s not going to be budging from that offer.

Saunders recently turned down fights against Gabriel Rosado, Willie Monroe Jr. and Curtis Stevens for fights on the undercard of Saul Canelo Alvarez vs. Liam Smith card on September 17, and it’s unclear when he’ll finally get around to making his first defense of his World Boxing Organization 160lb title.