SILLY BILLY GETS SERIOUS AT LAST
FRANK WARREN believes Billy Joe Saunders has ‘got the message’ and the evergreen promoter is not referring to his world middleweight champion’s tendency to post unsavoury statements on social media. Saunders takes his WBO title into Canadian challenger David Lemieux’s home town tonight and Warren said: ‘Billy Joe is in the best condition of his life for this fight. He knows it is a big ask to beat Lemieux in his own backyard and he has truly dedicated himself in training. He went out to Montreal early and has prepared properly. He has convinced me that he has a real chance.’ Saunders has been prone to ballooning in weight between fights. Now, at 28, he is reported to have buckled down under his new trainer Dominic Ingle, who does not expect him to fade in the later rounds against Lemieux as he has done in previous fights. Lemieux will not only be roared on by 14,000 home fans but fired up by Saunders’ fourletter tweets. ‘I don’t think he has a very high IQ,’ Lemieux responded. ‘I am going to hurt him badly.’ LIVE on BT Sport 2 from 2am