Boxing
Nick Parkinson 7y

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez fails to recognise Billy Joe Saunders in press conference

Boxing

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez did not recognise Billy Joe Saunders when the Briton got up and addressed him at a press conference on Monday.

Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) was in London to promote his Sep 16 fight with WBC-WBA-IBF world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Saunders (24-0,12 KOs) holds the WBO belt, the only world middleweight title not in Golovkin's possession, and is angling for a shot at the winner of Golovkin-Canelo.

But Mexican Alvarez, 26, was unsure of Saunders' identity when the 27-year-old asked why he gave up the WBC belt rather than fight Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) sooner.

"I didn't even recognise him," Canelo told reporters at a press conference in London on Monday.

"He needs to come down in weight if he want to fight one of us. I've never really or studied him. When we were talking earlier and discussing possibly fighting him [Saunders], I saw maybe one or two rounds but I've never really studied him or seen him.

"I can promise you this: with one hand tied behind my back and with my eyes closed I will still beat him."

Alvarez and Golovkin were united in their disapproval of Saunders.

Kazakhstan's California-based Golovkin, 35, has twice been linked to a unification fight against Saunders, who has defended his title just once since winning it in Dec 2015.

And Golovkin insists it was Saunders who claimed he was not ready to fight him in Kazakhstan on June 10.

"He talks too much, but he's not a promoter," Triple G told reporters at a press conference in London on Monday.

"I told my promoter Tom Leoffler I wanted this [Saunders] fight for June 10 and he said he wasn't ready. He has said no two times and he has wasted my time. I said I'm ready for this fight in Kazakhstan but he said no and I turned my focus to Canelo."

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