Andy Lee insists Billy Joe Saunders punches harder than he’s given credit for and can see a way he upset the odds to beat Canelo Alvarez on Saturday.
WBO Super Middleweight champion, Saunders is the underdog heading into his unification showdown with WBC and WBA ‘Super’ champion, Canelo at the AT & T Stadium in Texas.
However, former Middleweight world champion, Lee who lost his WBO title to Saunders on a majority decision in 2015 says the two-weight world champion is a far tougher fighter than he appears.
“Billy Joe is better than he looks from the outside,” Lee told IFLTV.
“When you’re in there with him he’s a much more effective fighter, a better fighter, a harder fighter to face, but I can see a way he wins.
“He is the underdog no doubt and it’s all up against him in terms of the venue, the judges and the whole event really.”
Four-weight world champion, Canelo has beaten all of the previous six Brits he’s faced including a knockout win over Amir Khan and most recently a unanimous decision victory over Callum Smith in December and has not lost a fight since defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2013.
Saunders, 31, is believed by many to have the slick southpaw style to cause the Mexican problems and Lee believes if he is able to start the fight quickly and build-up a lead, he could cause a stunning upset.
“But if he can start fast,” Lee added.
“He’s going to have to use a lot of energy early in the fight. Even when he’s not punching, be very active, feints, moving because Canelo will pick shots.
“Billy Joe punches harder than people think, underrated puncher as well. Then I can see if he can get the first four rounds in the bag, I can see a way he does enough to stay in the lead.
“I can see a way he wins the fight. I still think Canelo’s the favourite and will try and walk him down and hurt him to the body and try and slow him down early and try and get him late, but Billy Joe’s as talented as anybody, if not more talented than Canelo, so it’s a really interesting fight.”
Billy Joe Saunders takes on pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez in Texas on Saturday, live on DAZN.
