Billy Joe ban for sick video
■ saying he was appalled by the idiotic behaviour.
The unbeaten WBO super-middleweight champion claims he would never advocate violence against women and revealed he has suffered a vicious backlash.
“I’m getting a lot of hate mail wishing me dead, wishing my family and kids dead,” he said.
“I haven’t got another half but I have got a daughter and if anyone did that to her, I would hurt them bad.
“I said it as a bit of a joke. I wasn’t obviously thinking. It was a silly mistake but I didn’t mean to cause any harm to anyone and I certainly wouldn’t promote domestic violence.”
Saunders has apologised and says he will donate £25,000 to charities helping domestic abuse victims.
“I can only take it back and apologise,” said the two-weight world champion. “I will be donating £25,000 to support the domestic violence charity.”
Saunders was fined £100,000 in 2018 for a video in which he offered a woman £150 worth of drugs to perform a sex act.
The Traveller, who was due to pocket £6m for fighting Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on May 2 before the coronavirus struck, will be clobbered again when his misconduct hearing takes place.
Hearn said: “I was appalled really. It was so idiotic, it was so frustrating because I know Billy well. He’s a really good kid, with a really good heart.
“He does a lot for the community, he does a lot for charity, but every now and again he does the most stupid things.”
Hearn has rearranged Dillian Whyte’s showdown with Alexander Povetkin for July 4 and is also working on a new slot for Dereck Chisora’s clash with Oleksandr Usyk at The O2.