Anthony Joshua losing to Andy Ruiz Jr last June could help Billy Joe Saunders land long-overdue shot at Canelo Alvarez
BILLY JOE SAUNDERS says Anthony Joshua’s shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr can help seal HIS long-overdue shot at Canelo Alvarez.
AJ lost to the unknown Mexican last June and it sparked an £80million rematch that sold around 1.5m UK pay-per-view buys at £24.95, generating almost another £40m.
WBO super-middleweight champion Saunders hopes the success of that showdown forces middleweight Canelo to finally agree to fight him.
The southpaw, 30, reckons US streaming service DAZN, who paid Canelo £278m for an 11-fight deal in 2018, should give him a match-up with the Mexican WBA title-holder.
Saunders said: “The TV companies cannot afford to bring in old bodies for him anymore.
“Look at when Joshua boxed, the rematch made the TV companies massive money so, for someone to beat Canelo, the rematch would be massive.
“I would take it on three weeks’ notice.”
Canelo needs a new opponent for May 2 and Saunders is battling with WBA Super-middleweight champ Callum Smith to get the nod.
He thinks the British pair could also have a unification fight.
Saunders said: “We are both world champions so it would be a unification and I am sure it would be good business for us.
“I just get sick of people not fighting the best.”