SPORTS DIGEST

BAD BOY DAYS ARE OVER NOW, VOWS BILLY JOE

A HEAVIER body. A fresh start. Surely a two-division world champion. A role model, even? Meet the new Billy Joe Saunders. The traveller man — who has spent the last 17 months testing positive for a banned substance, consequently losing his world middleweight title outside the ropes, getting fined £100,000 for lewd video selfies and being described as ‘disgusting’ by pretty much everyone from the British Boxing Board of Control to the Twitter nation — returns to the ring tonight. As he prepares to fight the unheralded Germany-based Serbian Shefat isufi for the WBO’s vacant world super-middleweight title on the pitch at Stevenage FC, Saunders says: ‘i have done some silly things but they are behind me. i want to be a good role model from now on. i’ve been thinking about how my kids would feel seeing someone else doing some of what i’ve done.’ Not least, he realises, when a chance as good as this comes along. With reigning super-middleweight champion Gilberto ramirez moving up to light-heavy, the gate is open to the title. Saunders (left), a 1-100 favourite, says: ‘This is a very good opportunity.’ Saunders v Isufi live, BT Sport 1 from 7.30pm.