Although Billy Joe Saunders is just days away from potentially becoming a two-division world champion, promoter Frank Warren assures fans that Saunders is willing to move back down to middleweight for a fight against a certain Mexican champion.
In a column that he penned in The Daily Star, Warren stated that Saunders, a former WBO middleweight champion, is willing to go back to the 160-pound division to fight Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez, the unified WBA "Super," WBC and IBF middleweight champion, is coming off a 12-round decision win against Daniel Jacobs on May 4.
Saunders made the jump to super middleweight after his reign as the WBO champion came to an unceremonious end when he vacated the belt after failing a drug test before a title defense against Demetrius Andrade last year. Saunders never closed the door on going back to 160 pounds and would do so for the right fight.
"Billy Joe Saunders is ready for his shot to be a two-weight world champion when he faces Shefat Isufi at Lamex Stadium, Stevenage FC’s home ground. But he would jump back down to middleweight in a heartbeat if Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez fancies it and I’d back my man to dethrone the WBA, WBC and IBF champion."
As for his next fight, Saunders will face Shefat Isufi for the vacant WBO super middleweight title on May 18 in Stevenage, England. The fight will be streamed on ESPN+ in the United States. On the undercard is a BBBofC British and Commonwealth super bantamweight title fight between Brad Foster and Ashley Lane as well as a heavyweight matchup between Joe Joyce and Alexander Ustinov. The full colum can be read at this link.
