SAUL ‘CANELO’ ALVAREZ has named British two-weight world champion Billy Joe Saunders as the opponent who has annoyed him the most.
The pair met in May 2021 in a super middleweight unification bout for Canelo’s WBC and WBA titles and the WBO belt held by Saunders.
The fight was a tense affair at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and Saunders even threatened to pull out of the fight during fight week due to a dispute over ring size.
However, they came to a compromise and met in the 22-foot ring in Texas with Canelo winning after Saunders was unable to come out in the ninth round due to an eye injury from a powerful hook in the eighth.
And now the 34-year-old Mexican says Saunders is the opponent who drives him “crazier” than any other, adding that makes his victory all the sweeter.
“Billy Joe Saunders,” Canelo told PBC. “That guy drives me crazy. That’s why he got what he deserved.
“Some fighters… they say it to promote the fight or themselves but I think Saunders is a bad guy so I really like beating that guy.”
Saunders was 30-0 before facing Canelo and has not boxed since that night’s loss. Canelo, meanwhile, has fought seven times, won six, and will face Edgar Berlanga at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 14.
