Current middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders has not been pulling any punches in the build up to his title defense against Avtandil Khurtsidze
Saunders recently spoke with iFL TV and questions whether or not Khurtsidze has ever taken performance-enhancing drugs.
"You’re telling me this little fellow I’m fighting has never taken a pumped up drug in his life," Saunders said. "He’s big as that [Saunders then puts his hand in front of him to estimate Khurtsidze’s height] and full of muscles. You don’t get like that. If you take the weight off him, he’d be a lightweight. You take the muscles off him, he’s a lightweight.”
The trash talk further got heated in a press conference in which Saunders said a boxer as old as Khurtsidze can't hope to beat a guy like Saunders. Saunders even went on to say his young son is better than Khurtsidze, who is currently the WBO interim middleweight champion.
“I think he’s going to be chasing shadows all night," Saunders said. "After three or four rounds, he’s going to be gassing out and I’m going to stomp on him and do what I’ve got to do. He’s 37-years-old. If I can’t beat him, then I’ll just give up and not think of fighting Golovkin and Canelo. He’s 3-years off of 40,” said Saunders about Khurtsidze. “He’s not the best of boxers. My 7-year-old son has better boxing skills than him. He can’t talk a word of English. He’s 37-years-old coming up against a 27-year-old.”
The two will meet on July 8 in London. The iFL interview can be seen in the video above. Credit to BoxingNews24.com for the transcription.
