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Billy Joe Saunders is pushing back against claims that he walked away from fighting Canelo Alvarez
Billy Joe Saunders has rejected claims that he quit following his defeat to Canelo Alvarez and insisted he is determined to continue his career despite suffering an eye injury.
Saunders was unsuccessful when he dethroned star Canelo, who was fighting to unify the super middleweight world title, at AT&T Stadium in Texas last month.
The former WBO champion was caught with an uppercut that almost immediately damaged his right eye and broke the former Olympian’s eye socket.
“When I was hit, I was hit by a gunshot and I remember it very, very clearly.” Saunders recalled the shot at talkSPORT.
“I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a good shot, that’s a good shot.’ I started jumping up and down, but my eye dropped.
“I kept seeing two or three and after 30 seconds I realized it wasn’t my legs, it was my eye.
“It’s a sedate injury, I thought I would never experience it, but in boxing you never know what will happen.”
When the 31-year-old returned to his corner at the end of the eighth round, he was seen shaking his head while taking the corner kick, whispered in his ear by Ben Davison, which was preceded by head coach Mark Tibbs waving goodbye.
Alvarez added Saunders’ WBO belt to his career, which also includes the WBA “Super” and WBC belts, and Saunders believes his team made the right decision to end the proceedings.
Explaining what happened in the corner, the Briton added: “As a fighter, I wanted to keep fighting. I sat down and heard Ben [Davison] telling me in the corner that it was over before I even sat down.
“I was shaking my head to say, ‘No way.’
“It was the right break, I can’t argue, I know my well-being was at hand.
“Of course it’s disgusting and no one wants to lose, it’s gut-wrenching, but that’s sport and boxing.
“All you can say is that the better man won that night. That’s it.
“I would love to see how the next four or five rounds went because I put so much heart and effort into it.
“It’s a sport.”
Saunders faced widespread criticism in the aftermath, with some suggesting he had decided to withdraw, despite pre-fight comments emphasizing that he was willing to do anything to win.
The two-division world champion, who was photographed getting into an ambulance after the fight, denied suggestions that he had resigned and repeated that Davison’s previous comments that he was willing to change his preferred Southpaw stance in the ninth round in an attempt to change the flow of the fight.
“You’ll always have your people come in and be worth their two pence.
“But my team that is in this corner knows this conversation. I was coming off the orthodox ninth inning and when people say, ‘He’s gone,’ you have to look at the situation.
“My team is here to do my job and look out for my best interests.
“I’m there to play all night long. When we step into that ring, it’s our life and I’m ready to give it up.
“But I would never in my life say, ‘No, I’ve had enough, I’ve had enough.’
“I boxed for a minute and 20 seconds with a broken eye socket and a broken cheekbone in three places.
“A minute and 20 seconds is an okay fight against an average fighter, but when you’re fighting the best man in the world, I could have easily quit, but I never did.
“It was the corner’s decision. It is what it is, I can’t argue with that.”
Saunders admits he’s 50-50 on whether he’ll return to the ring, and insists his father, Tom Saunders, will make the large decision on whether he hangs up his gloves.
“Everything would have to fall into place and [be] the right fight.
“Because coming back from fights like this is very challenging. Where are you going to?
“I will talk to my dad because he will have a lot of influence on this matter.
“Honestly, to be straightforward, the conversation will be more or less about my dad than me.
“This is one of them where it’s 50/50. Whether I think I’ll have one more fight or a few more fights, but they have to be the right kind of fights.
“If he says, ‘Leave it, son, don’t come back for more,’ that’s probably what I’ll do.”
Daniel Dubois believes that Tyson Fury will return to the ring and claims that a fight between them may happen.
Fury ended hopes of All-British fights against the likes of Dubois and long-time rival Anthony Joshua after retiring last Monday, less than a month after his second successive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
However, “Dynamite” believes that his compatriot will return in a similar mood as when he retired in April 2022, only to return seven months later.
If the “Gypsy King” ends his final retirement, Dubois insists the fight with Joshua must happen, which has opened the door for him to face the winner.
“I think he will definitely come back,” said the 27-year-old talkSPORT.
“He’s always done that throughout his career, mind games and all that.
“So I think he will come back. He plays various characters. He will definitely come back.
“Get them in the ring [Joshua and Fury].
“I want to see them fight now.
“I punched Joshua so he had to fight Fury.
“I want to see what’s left between these two.
“And then maybe I’ll fight the winner.”
The Londoner knocked out “AJ” five rounds in September at Wembley Stadium and on February 22 in Riyad, he will defend the IBF world heavyweight title against Joseph Parker.
Dubois stormed the ring after Usyk’s rematch victory over Fury, calling for a rematch from their August 2023 clash.
The Londoner’s argument for wanting a rematch is based on a controversial low blow in the fifth round of the fight against the Ukrainian, which he believed was a legal shot.
“Usyk, I want to take revenge,” he said.
“Good job tonight.
“I want revenge for the last robbery.
“Let’s sort this out. Let’s go.
Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury will retire after a legacy-defining clash with Anthony Joshua.
Fury stunned the boxing world on Monday when he announced his retirement from the sport, leaving behind a megafight with Joshua.
The “Gypsy King” announced his shocking decision less than a month after suffering, among other things, second defeat in a row against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad, but Joshua’s promoter, Hearn, is convinced that the fighter from Morecambe will return to the ring to fight the long-awaited showdown with “AJ”, who is returning after a fifth-round defeat to Daniel Dubois.
“In my opinion, I think he will come back,” the 45-year-old said talkSPORT.
“But I don’t know him well enough to judge that.
“He’s coming back after two defeats, and these defeats hurt the boys.
“AJ was devastated by the defeat to Dubois and I’m sure Fury was too [with his defeats to Usyk]both are winners.
“I don’t know if Fury can leave one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport on the table.
“I know he’s a competitor. I know he will want to give the British fight fans what they want and I hope we see more of him.
“But if we don’t, God bless the speed and all the best.”
Fury hung up his gloves after defeating Dillian Whyte in April 2022, only to return eight months later for a third fight with Derek Chisora, whom he defeated comfortably at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hearn said Joshua will now look to secure a clash with the winner of the February 22 fight between his former rivals Dubois and Joseph Parker, who will fight in Riyad for the IBF heavyweight world title.
If Fury returns to fight AJ, the Matchroom boss insists the loser would have nowhere to go.
“They would both be devastated by defeat,” he added.
“It’s one thing to lose the world heavyweight title, but at the same time losing in a fight of this magnitude is the biggest bragging rights.
“At this stage of their career, the last word is goodbye.
“Whoever loses this fight is finished and whoever wins it moves on and that’s what you fight for.
“You’re not just fighting for a legacy, you’re fighting to save your career.
“It’s a huge fight, but it’s not on the table right now.”
Callum Simpson defended his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles after a second-round victory over Steer Woodall on Saturday at the Park Community Arena in Sheffield.
Simpson (16-0, 11 KO) proved too good for Zak Chelli in his last competition and went on to sweep wide and claim the British and Commonwealth titles last August. Woodall (19-3-1, 12 KO) picked up his best career win, stopping Lerrone Richards in six rounds in an upset in Bolton last June.
This attack ended quickly in the second round, with a right uppercut that left Woodall on wobbly legs, and then another attack punctuated by another right uppercut, leaving “The Stallion” on the deck.
Despite beating the count, referee Mark Bates waved off the fight shortly afterwards.
Simpson dedicated his victory his dead sisterwho died tragically in August in a road accident.
“It’s bittersweet,” the 28-year-old said Heavenly sports after the fight.
“I won these titles in front of all my fans, but there’s one person that I think everyone knows who I wish was here, but I know she’s looking down on me and I make her proud.”
Dubois is tied with Camara
On the card below, Caroline Dubois (10-0-1, 5 KO) made her first defense of her WBC lightweight title against Canadian Jessica Camara (14-4-1, 3 KO), but the fight ended in a technical draw.
The fight was stopped due to a cut to Camara’s left eye from the head collision, and she also went down in the first round.
Forrest stops Miller
Cruiserweight prospect Scott Forrest needed just two rounds to defeat Deevorn Miller.
Miller (8-3, 6 KO) lost once in the first and second rounds, while Forrest (7-0, 4 KO) won outright.
Undercard remaining
In the featherlight heavyweight division, where Billy Deniz defeated Mickey Ellison (15-8, 5 KO) by one point.
Deniz (13-0, 5 KO) won with a score of 77-76.
In the six-round middleweight division, Sam Hickey (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Lewis Howells (3-2) three times en route to a first-round victory, and Mauro Silva (7-0, 3 KO) scored a 59-56 victory against Emmanuel Zion (6-3, 3 KOs).
Ellis Price (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Liam Fitzmaurice (0-1) twice en route to a first-round lightweight victory.
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