Billy Joe Saunders and Deontay Wilder Rivalry: What Happened Between the Two?

Billy Joe Saunders and Tyson Fury share a close relationship between them. The two champions have trained together on multiple occasions in the past. So close was the relationship between the two, that Billy Joe Saunders even confronted Deontay Wilder in support of Fury.

Both Saunders and Fury come from the proud fighting community of the gypsies. As a result, the two Englishman have remained close throughout their careers. And a perfect example of this was when Saunders took on Wilder and his team in the UK.

The 30-0 boxer confronted Wilder in a Nando’s restaurant in Belfast in 2018, and things turned ugly. Saunders was in town to support Fury for his bout against Francesco Pianeta; Wilder was there to stir trouble between himself and Fury.

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As team Wilder enjoyed a meal at the chain restaurant, Saunders went up to them and greeted them. When he reached Wilder, the former WBC champion confronted him about a comment he made. The Englishman confirmed he had made the comment, and all hell broke loose.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ tried to grab hold of Saunders. However, after people stepped in and prevented a fight at the restaurant, Saunders fled from the scene.

Billy Joe Saunders and Deontay Wilder made peace

This instance showed Saunders would go to any extent to back Fury. However, the rivalry between Wilder and Saunders did not continue for long. Both fighters made peace after the fight.

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Video footage showed ‘The Bronze Bomber’ running into the WBO champion after Fury beat Pianeta, and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ said, “All fine baby, all fine. It’s good to promote the fight. I’m happy to be here, this is what it’s all about.”

This comment from Wilder showed that despite the incident, there was no bad blood between the two.

The former heavyweight champion would eventually get his wish, as Tyson Fury would face him next in what would be the famous split decision draw. However, Saunders would have surely enjoyed the rematch where ‘The Gypsy King’ knocked out Wilder.

What do you make of this rivalry between Billy Joe Saunders and Deontay Wilder?