Billy Joe Saunders has begun his boxing career as well as anyone could, with a spotless 28-0 record. But he wants more. He wants to take down the best.
Saunders told Sky Sports that he's gunning for a chance to face Canelo Alvarez on Cinco de Mayo 2020, the Mexican holiday on which Alvarez typically fights, and that he "would take pleasure in "ruining Cinco de Mayo for the Mexican fans."
"That's because he's the face of boxing and I'd like the chance to beat him," Saunders said. "Here's the really scary thing — I know I can do it."
Saunders won his first world title on Dec. 29, 2015, as a middleweight in a fight against Andy Lee. He successfully defended that WBO title three times before he had tested positive for a known stimulant. He vacated the WBO title knowing that he was likely going to be stripped of it. He had one last fight at middleweight against Charles Adamu on Dec. 22, which he won via RTD in four rounds.
Saunders shifted up a weight class to super middleweight, where he won the WBO title in an unanimous decision against Shefat Isufi on May 18, 2019.
He will have his first title defense of that on Nov. 9, as part of the Logan Paul-KSI main card, which can be viewed exclusively on DAZN. His opponent has yet to be announced.
Of course, Alvarez has world titles at three different weight classes, having won world titles at light middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight. His only career loss in his 52-1-2 record came against Floyd Mayweather on Sept. 14, 2013, in a majority decision. Canelo is now heading up to light heavyweight to fight Sergiy Kovalev.
"I watched Canelo fight Ryan Rhodes and Matthew Hatton," Saunders said. "I've known since day one, ever since I put on a pair of gloves that our paths would cross. I always knew and dreamed what would happen when we did."
Should Canelo move back down to super middleweight to fight Saunders, he'd be putting his WBA belt on the line in the fight, while Saunders would put up the WBO title, should he retain it in his Nov. 9 fight.
"With a fighter like Canelo, you can't go into the ring with a game-plan," Saunders said. "You need to think, 'This is my one and only chance to change my name from being good to great.'"