Interviews
The inner ring has to be 22 feet or we’re going home
Billy Joe Saunders’ father, Tom Saunders, sensationally stated that his team will miss Saturday’s fight with Canelo Alvarez if the ring is not 22 feet.
WBO super middleweight champion Saunders will face WBC and WBA champion Canelo in front of an expected 70,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Texas, live on DAZN.
However, both the 31-year-old and his father expressed concerns about the size of the ring, with the latter claiming that the fight’s promoters, Matchroom Boxing, initially set the ring at 18 feet and then at 20 feet instead of 24 feet. what he thought had been agreed upon.
Saunders’ father revealed that they have reached a compromise on the 22-footer, but insists that the ring issue must be resolved so that the fight can continue.
“There are some issues we need to address that we are not joyful with.” Tom Saunders told IFLTV.
“It’s about the size of a ring. Matchroom wants us to box in an 18-foot indoor ring and they come back with a 20-foot ring.
“It was supposed to be a 24-foot inner ring, and now we compromised and said the inner ring wouldn’t be less than 22 feet.
“[Saunders’ management] ICC [Global] we’ve already talked about it, they’ve dealt with it all, and I hope they can deal with it, and I’m sure they will.
“But if Matchroom wants Billy Joe to box in an 18-foot indoor ring, well, that’s an amateur ring.
“I think the 18-20 feet are trying to take away Billy Joe’s advantage.
“We left it at 22 feet, no lower. The inner ring must be 22 feet, otherwise we go home.
The WBO champion, who defeated Martin Murray in December, also revealed his dissatisfaction with the situation and insisted that the fight would take place on “level terms”.
“There are one or two little things now.” Saunders said “Behind The Gloves.”
“One of those little things when I say little thing is a ring. I left it to my team. I let them tidy up all the garbage.
“You don’t go into a stadium hundreds of meters long, with a capacity of 70,000, and you don’t dance in a 16-meter, 18-meter or even 20-meter ring. A fight on this scale must take place on fair terms.”
Saunders (30-0, 14 KO) is training in Las Vegas for a career-defining meeting with the Mexican star, who is widely considered the number one fighter in the world and is undefeated since his only loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. 2013.
The Briton is said to have a skillful fighting style and has problems with Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KO), who defeated Saunders’ compatriot Callum Smith by unanimous decision in December and Avni Yildirim in February after a third-round stoppage.
Saunders’ father believes he will stun the 30-year-old if the fight goes ahead.
“Canelo is really waiting for the biggest surprise of his life,” added Saunders’ father.
“He has liked the men around him for the last few years. He flies back and forth in his private jets, forgetting where he comes from.
“Twice he relied on the fact that he should have been beaten and the judges went his way and in the end we didn’t agree to it and Canelo will get the shock of his life if this fight happens.
“But we will not move away from the inner ring problem. But Canelo, I’m telling you, he’s a beatman.
“Skill will beat this man. It’s a bull and a matador, and the matador outsmarts the bull until he’s ready to kill it, and that’s what’s going to happen here.”
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.
Daniel Dubois sends a message to Tyson Fury after his retirement
“Anthony Joshua is finished and I would love to withdraw him,” says his rival
‘TANK DAVIS IS NOT RETIRING!’ – Devin Haney SLAMS Ryan Garcia & Teo Lopez, talks fight date
-
MMA8 months agoMax Holloway is on a mission at UFC 212
-
MMA8 months agoCris Cyborg ready to add a UFC title to her collection
-
Interviews3 months agoCarl Froch predicts that Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
MMA8 months agoThe Irish showed up in droves at the Mayweather-McGregor weigh-in
-
Interviews3 months agoArtur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
Boxing6 months agoLucas Bahdi ready to test his skills against Ashton Sylve
-
Interviews8 months agoI fell in love with boxing again
-
Opinions & Features3 months agoDmitry Bivol: The story so far