Less than 24 hours after successfully defending his WBC and WBA Super Middleweight championships, Canelo Alvarez will be returning to the ring May 8 looking to add to his title collection as he faces undefeated WBO Super Middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, per DAZN.
Canelo Alvarez won the WBC and WBA Super Middleweight titles in December when he defeated former undefeated champion Callum Smith by unanimous decision. Saturday night saw him defend the titles against mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim, winning by third-round TKO after his opponent’s corner waived off the fight going into the fourth round.
In addition to reigning as super middleweight world champion, Canelo has won world championships in four different weight classes: super welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight.
Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders set for May
Canelo has stated that he is gunning to become undisputed champion in the super middleweight division. He had a chance to become undisputed champion at middleweight in his first fight with Gennadiy Golovkin but the fight ended in a split decision draw.
Meanwhile, Billy Joe Saunders first became a world champion in the middleweight division when he beat Andy Lee to win the WBO Middleweight title in December 2015. After successful title defenses against Artur Akavov, Willie Monroe Jr. and David Lemieux, Saunders went on to take and win a fight at light heavyweight before settling in the super middleweight division.
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Saunders has been WBO Super Middleweight champion since May 2019 when he beat Shefat Isufi to win the vacant belt. He has successfully defended the title twice with wins against Marcelo Esteban Coceres and Martin Murray.
This fight is sure to be an excellent tactical match as both men are well renowned for their accurate punching and defensive technique with fluid head and body movement. While Canelo Alvarez will be the betting favorite going into the fight, do not expect this fight to play out like Alvarez’s bout with Avni Yildirim. Billy Joe Saunders is an elite fighter and will surely give Alvarez a run for his money in his quest of becoming undisputed champion.
The fight will be broadcast live on DAZN and be set at the Dallas Cowboys’ home AT&T Stadium.