“I Was Expecting More”: Years After $9,000,000 Gate Fight, Billy Joe Saunders Remains Brutally Honest On Losing To Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez is at the top of his game right now. He showed the world that he still has what it takes to be at the top of the sport with his most recent victory. Alvarez dominated Jermell Charlo and even knocked him down for the second time in his career. Moreover, with this victory, he even secured his name alongside top Mexican legends like Julio Cesar Chavez, Ricardo Lopez, and Marco Antonio Barrera.

All the talks of Alvarez slowing down have hushed as of now. However, there are still some who don’t think the undisputed super middleweight champion is as big as they say. His former opponent Billy Joe Saunders shared his experience from their fight. So what does the British boxer who took Alvarez’s punishment first-hand have to say about their fight?

Billy Joe Saunders reveals insight from his fight against the Mexican superstar

Alvarez and Saunders went toe-to-toe back in 2021, prior to his bout against Caleb Plant to become the undisputed champion. The fight was a huge success and it reached even more sales than his two Gennadiy Golovkin bouts. Alvarez showcased an impressive performance, ending the fight on an eight-round stoppage as he damaged Saunder’s eye socket. The fight held at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, generated a live gate of $9,002,920. After his loss, Saunders only had good things to say about the Mexican Icon. He even acknowledged him as a “best man on the planet” in an interview while discussing the injury to his eye socket. However, recently it appears he has something else to add about his thoughts regarding Alvarez’s punching power. He stated, “When we got to round three I thought, ‘Is this it?’ I was expecting more. I was expecting him to be more of a beast.” He added, “I came away from that fight with great confidence because I never once felt out of my depth.”

It seems Saunders was not convinced by the strength Alvarez displayed during their fight. This is surprising considering the damage he had sustained in the fight which caused him to forfeit.

However, now that Alvarez won his fight against Charlo, there are several fighters lined up to trade punches with him inside the ring.

Former boxer predicts Terence Crawford’s chances against Canelo Alvarez

Even prior to the fight, Alvarez had a lot of suitors, all looking for a shot at his championship belts. Among the names interested, was the two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford. Crawford called out Alvarez and is even willing to jump to super-middleweight to fight for the undefeated crown. Former professional boxer Tim Bradley gives Crawford only around 30-40% shot on victory.

He called ‘Bud’ a skilled fighter who would set up traps for Canelo, however, he is doubtful about Crawford’s ability to take heavy shots from the Mexican boxer. He stated, “That’s tough. We know Canelo can be outboxed, but the size difference is what’s scary about that fight.”

According to Bradley, Crawford will be more troublesome for Alvarez to deal with than Charlo. However, he remains doubtful about him being able to take Canelo’s punch.

Read More: “WTF Was That”: Canelo Alvarez Enjoying His Second Passion Ahead Of Jermell Charlo Bout Draws Mixed Reactions From Fans

To Bradley the question remains if Crawford would be able to take the punishment, only then he would stand a chance. What do you think about Saunders downplaying Alvarez’s power? Also, what do you think about Bradley picking Alvarez over Crawford? Do you agree with him? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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