CANELO VS. SANDERS PREVIEW, RING SIZE DISPUTE & BETTING ODDS
Arlington, TX (May 4th, 2021)– Canelo Alvarez returns to the ring this Saturday May 8th on DAZN against Billy Joe Saunders in a fight where the winner will leave with three of the four major titles at super middleweight.
Billy Joe Saunders will look to shock the world next month by attempting to defeat pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez in a huge unification bout.
Saunders, who is undefeated in 30 fights, will be looking to out class the power punching Mexican in what many consider to be Canelo’s most difficult challenge since Canelo faced Floyd Mayweather in 2013.
Canelo retained his WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring super-middleweight titles in February when he easily defeated Turkey’s Avni Yildirim in just 3 rounds when Yildirim quit on his stool.
Canelo has an incredible 55 wins and he will be looking to defeat Saunders for the first time in his career. But Britain’s Sanders, a close friend of WBC heavyweight heavyweight Tyson Fury, is the WBO champion and is confident of upsetting the odds and beating the great Canelo.
In a recent interview, Saunders said: “I’d give up my life and say goodbye to my kids to beat Canelo – this means everything to me.”
Ring Dispute:
As if that wasn’t enough, Billy Joe’s dad Tom Saunders claims the fight could be off even though they’ve already flown to Texas for fight week.
“We wanted a 24ft ring, we’ve come down to a 22ft inner ring,” Tom said (via TalkSport).
“What they’re trying to do is take Billy Joe’s legs away, we’re up against everything here.
“At the end of the day, I’m not gonna let my son box in a 20ft ring against supposed to be the pound-for-pound king of boxing.
“They’ve said it’s either 20ft or book your flights home. So unfortunately we apologise to all the fans…
“They’re trying to take his legs away, the fight will not be fair. The fight’s off.”
Whatever the case, to throw away a career payday and potentially get an event with 70,000 expectant fans cancelled would get Saunders blackballed by every major promoter for the rest of his time in the sport. He already had a big money fight with Demetrius Andrade squashed back in 2019 when he tested positive for PEDs.
Texas regulations permit a minimum 16-ft ring and a maximum of 24-ft, although for championship bouts as overseen by the Association of Boxing Commissions.
Billy Joe Saunders 🇬🇧 was a NO SHOW at today’s Media Press Conference at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
If an agreement is not made, look for a last minute replacement potentially Super Middleweight Contender John Ryder.
Update: However it looks, predictably, like things are going ahead as planned, as Saunders has updated his social media around 4pmet and sounds ready to fight.
“Just want to say I’m pleased the issue is sorted,” Saunders said on his Instagram story. “The ring is not a problem. Thumbs are up.”
Canelo vs. Sanders Betting Odds & How to Bet:
The Canelo vs Saunders odds have shifted even more heavily in favor of the Mexican over the past two weeks according to sports betting dime. Previously a -715 favorite on average, Canelo is now -740, with Saunders fading from +440 to +482. The betting market on the two-way odds (i.e. draw no bet) gives Canelo an 88.1% chance to win. The odds are pretty evenly split on method of victory; Canelo by stoppage (+109) is slightly favored over Canelo by decision (+135).
When is Canelo vs Saunders and what time will it be on?
The Saul Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders fight card takes place on Saturday, May 8.
It begins at 11pm (BST) with the main event ring walks expected at approximately 4am.
However, as always with boxing, the exact start of the main event will depend on how long the undercard runs.
How can I Watch Canelo vs Saunders?
Canelo vs Saunders can be seen on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico. You can purchase the fight by clicking the banner below.
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