Tyson Fury believes that Billy Joe Saunders will handle Canelo Alvarez in easier fashion than many people expect and hand the Mexican a boxing lesson on May 8.
WBO Super Middleweight champion, Saunders meets unified WBC and WBA ‘Super’ champion, Canelo at the AT & T Stadium next month.
Undefeated Saunders is wrapping up his camp at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas and was pictured training alongside WBC Heavyweight champion, Fury who is also in Sin City preparing for an expected undisputed showdown with unified champion, Joshua in the summer.
Alvarez, who saw off Avni Yildirm in three rounds in February, having beaten Saunders’ compatriot Callum Smith in December is a heavy favourite heading into the clash, however the ‘Gypsy King’ believes the 31-year-old has all the tools to pull of a huge upset.
“I think Billy Joe gives him a boxing lesson,” Fury told Behind the Gloves.
“That’s what I’m here to see and that’s what I think will happen.
“I think everyone raves on about Canelo and how good he is, but every time Billy Joe steps into the pressure cooker he delivers, much like myself.
“We’re up against a good fighter in Canelo, whose strong and physically mature, big for the weight and likes to hold his feet and fire good, hard punches and has got good head movement.
“But Billy Joe’s a master boxer. Slick, southpaw with good footwork and good ring IQ. [He hasn’t been beat since he] was 17-years-old. There’s a reason why.”
Running the game a very long time @bjsaunders_ pic.twitter.com/tj5w0rRZKI
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) April 16, 2021
Alvarez is on a 14-fight winning streak since a sole professional defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2013 and has beaten six Brits over the course of his over 15-year career, including Amir Khan and Liam Smith.
The 30-year-old secured disputed victories over Erislandy Lara in 2014 and in his first fight with Gennady Golovkin in 2017, both of which he won by split decision and two-time Heavyweight champion, Fury believes two-weight world champion, Saunders can use his Southpaw stance to good effect and make it an easier fight than many believe is possible.
“Canelo’s tasted defeat and we know he can be outboxed before because we’ve seen it. Mayweather outboxed him convincingly and he’s had a couple of sticky fights, struggled in a couple of southpaw fights that I’ve seen,” Fury added.
“He struggled with [Erislandly] Lara, that was a close fight could have lost that won. If Lara was a bit more of a name and a bit more of a drawer he would have probably got the decision.
“Billy Joe is a very good boxer, a very slick southpaw and I know he’ll fancy this one, there’s a lot on the line.
“What’s on the line here is in between him and being a world champion twice or going down as a great in the sport.
“I definitely think he’s going to shock a lot of people and it’s going to be an easier fight than people think it is.”
Fury has been training at the Top Rank Gym as he closes in on an unprecedented showdown with WBA ‘Super, IBF and WBO titlist, Joshua who is preparing in the UK.
The pair have reportedly agreed to a site to stage the fight and according to ESPN’s Mark Kriegel Saudi Arabia, which hosted Joshua’s rematch victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019 are reportedly set to pay in excess of $150m to bring the fight there, with the champions pocketing at least $75m each.
The proposed site fee to stage the @Tyson_Fury vs. @AnthonyJoshua fight in Saudi Arabia exceeds $150 million, sources tell @MarkKriegel💰 pic.twitter.com/R6YYbhmBKx
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) April 24, 2021
