WAR & PIECES Billy Joe’s plan to stop world belt ‘robbery’ in Canada
BILLY JOE SAUNDERS has warned David Lemieux he’s going to be ‘picked to pieces and broken down’ when the pair meet in Montreal, Canada on Saturday.
Britain’s WBO ‘world’ middleweight champion, Saunders, has turned himself into a lean, mean, fighting machine ahead of his third title defence, against Canadian Lemieux.
And American TV giants HBO, who will broadcast the bout in north America, are promising a slug-fest.
But Saunders, 28, said: “They can advertise it as World War II or World War III if they want.
“But what’s going to happen is that he is going to get picked to pieces and broken down, like Gennady Golovkin did. I do what’s best for me and a slug-fest is not best for me.
“His job is to make me fight, my job is to make him box, so we’ll see who can do what.
“I’m going in there fit, focused, heart of a lion, and going in with fear because I’m in his back garden.
“Not fear as in frightened, but fear of being robbed, so I’m going to bring the best ability, the best possible Billy Joe Saunders there is in the closet.
“People are saying he’s the best I’ve faced. Is he? I don’t know.
“He can fight and he’s a good puncher. But if he wants to play boxing I can put a blindfold on and beat him with one hand.” Saunders is in great shape after a tough training camp but has promised himself a feast over Christmas. “Put it this way, this is the last time I’ll be making 11st 6oz in 2017,” he added. But he is so focused on what he can achieve from boxing now that he will be ready for Golovkin or Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in 2018. Saunders said: “The reason I’m in Canada is to fight them. “I decided to come here and took the fight knowing that I’ll beat him and knowing that if they don’t fight each other then one of their next fights has to be me.
“They aren’t scared of anyone, they will fight anyone, they’re warriors.
“I think and hope I will take care of business on Saturday and then one of those boys is definitely on my hit-list. They’re the ones I want, either one of them.
“I’m not bothered because they drew last time out so in everybody’s eyes they’re as good as each other.”
Fighting the best is Saunders’ target for now but, long term, are there any plans to follow Amir Khan (left) into the I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here jungle?
“I’m not really bothered about that side of stuff,” he added. “I’d never say never but I’d rather sleep with a nice woman than a load of rats.”