Billy Joe to make mark
PAGES OF FANTASTIC STARTS HERE SAUNDERS IS ON REVIVAL MISSION
¬ Interview by CHRIS McKENNA BILLY JOE SAUNDERS was close to calling it a day just 12 months ago having barely left a mark on world boxing.
Tonight he goes into a fight with David Lemieux in Canada that could put him on the map on the other side of the Atlantic.
For the last two years WBO middleweight champion Saunders has been chasing a big fight with Saul Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin.
All he had to bring to the table was the WBO belt plus a southpaw style that made him a tough challenge – but with little profile in America to make it a big fight financially.
Gamble
Now victory in Montreal against home favourite Lemieux may finally make him worth the gamble and line up a big Las Vegas night for one of Britain’s best world champions.
But a year ago he was a long way from that dream as he laboured to a points win over unknown Artur Akavov in Paisley, in his only fight of a disastrous 2016.
“After the Akavov fight, I said to myself, ‘If I ever get in the ring and turn in a performance like that again, I’ll never box again’,” said Saunders.
“I had achieved my dream already so what was there left for me to do? Fights had fallen through as well. Everyone knows who I wanted to fight and who I signed to fight but they never happened.
“I had won my world title and knew I could live well even without boxing. I would be comfortable from what I’ve already made.
“But when you weigh it up I wasn’t living the life, doing what I was supposed to and giving six months of my life away – but now I have.
“It’s not all about money for me. I’m getting paid well here, I could probably buy a new caravan with the money, but if you gave me the choice of the money or the win – I’d take the win all day long.”
Saunders, who beat Andy Lee in 2015 to win the WBO title, has revived his career with new trainer Dominic Ingle and beat American Willie Monroe Jnr this year.
With the help of a nutritionist he has also overcome weight problems to get down to 11st 6lb.
“For all my other fights I was never in love with boxing and I fought them at maybe 60 per cent,” said Saunders, who also beat Chris Eubank Jnr in 2014.
“Even with the Eubank fight I was only at about 60 per cent because I was not in love with the sport like I am now. So it meant that mentally I was not at my best.
“But now I’m happy and a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter – and I’m fit and ready to rock and roll.
“A lot of things have changed in the last 12 months and it’s time for me to prove it against Lemieux.” TODAY