Unbeaten WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (26-0, 12 KOs) has once again told Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) that he wants to unify.
In September 2017, Golovkin retained his WBC, IBO, WBA 'Super' and IBF belts after a controversial draw against Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas. The scores were split, but a 118-110 tally in favor of Canelo raised a lot of controversy over the officiating.
A rematch seems likely for May, meaning that Saunders would face someone else in the spring before taking on the winner later this year for all of the middleweight marbles.
However on Wednesday evening, Saunders told Golovkin and his promoter Tom Loeffler that he's ready to unify right away if Canelo doesn't want the fight.
"Golovkin, if red balls don't want to fight - I'm game to unify," Saunders stated.
Last month, Saunders outclassed dangerous puncher David Lemieux in Montreal, and now wants a career-defining year against the very best. The fight created a lot of buzz for Saunders because it was televised on HBO, which has exclusive deals with Canelo and Golovkin.
"I've had some bad performances in the past, but deep down I know what I've got in me and it's no surprise that that came out," referring to that win on the BoxNation Podcast in December. "I am definitely the slickest Middleweight in the world!"
Negotiations between Loeffler and Golden Boy Promotions for Canelo v GGG 2 are currently ongoing. The two sides are targeting the Cinco De Mayo date of May 5th, with the contest likely to fall again at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.
2023-10-20 07:04:21
