Saunders on course in bid to unify middleweight titles

Billy Joe Saunders remained on course to challenge either Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez after he defended his WBO middleweight title with a unanimous points decision over american willie monroe Jnr on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Saunders was fighting for the first time under new trainer Dominic Ingle. He received scores of 117-111, 115-114, 117-112 from the three ringside judges.

Saunders had been tipped to face the winner of the Las Vegas fight, but Golovkin retained his middleweight titles on Saturday, fighting to a 12-round draw with Alvarez in a brutal battle and there is already talk of a rematch.

In London, it was Saunders’ superior sharpness and intent as much as his skills that secured his latest victory.

Leading with the jab and also succeeding in finding his target on Monroe’s body, Saunders began with a typically fast pace and faced little more than jabs in return.

In the third round, an accurate right uppercut hurt his challenger and it was only when a cut opened by the bridge of his nose following an accidental clash of heads in the fourth that the American temporarily fought with greater belief. It was Saunders’ second successful defence of his title, ten months after defeating Artur Akavov.

Monroe’s record fell to 21-3, with six knockouts.

Promising heavyweight Daniel Dubois had earlier earned his fifth victory from five when stopping AJ Carter in only 48 seconds.

Carter required oxygen and was immediately sent to hospital, having been knocked to the canvas three times.