Billy Joe Saunders: Fight is off if 'unacceptable' ring size can't get resolved
- Joe Hewlett
- 4 May 2021
“The problem is I’ve come over here and they’re trying to chuck me in a phonebox of a boxing ring. For me, that’s just unacceptable."
Billy Joe Saunders has revealed there will be no fight on Saturday if his demands aren't met.
The two-division world champion, unbeaten from 30 fights, is expected to collide with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez on May 8 in a super middleweight unification.
However, the British 2008 Olympian insists the bout will not go ahead as it stands.
"There's a little bit of a hiccup today that everyone's trying to resolve," Saunders told talkSPORT.
"I've left that to my management team MTK who's over here sorting it, it's quite a big hiccup to be honest.
"The problem is I've come over here and they're trying to chuck me in a phonebox of a boxing ring.
"For me, that's just unacceptable. I want a 24ft ring and they're saying it's not gonna happen.
"I've left it to my team and I'm sure they'll resolve it, otherwise there won't be any fight…
"You can't just fly me in here, show me the ring that we're using. I've been training all of my camp in a 24ft ring, it's a unification fight, not a British title.
"It's like someone training on a 200m running track and someone training on a 400m running track, there's a big difference.
"We all know his style of fighting, anybody who knows boxing knows how this fight - - how I've got in my head of it playing out.
"And he's got his own style of fighting and his game plan, and I know his game plan.
"His game plan's not waiting around, his game plan is coming to me and I want somewhere where I can move and get my boxing off."
Saunders' father reiterated his concerns about the unfair advantages Canelo could have on fight night.
"That's the size of the ring. Matchroom wants us to box in an 18-foot ring, and then they come back with a 20-foot ring. It was supposed to be a 24-foot ring.
"Then we've compromised with no smaller than a 22-foot ring. MTK (Saunders' promoter) is on it, and they're all over it now. Hopefully, that'll sort it out, and I'm sure it will be.
"For Matchroom to want Billy Joe to box in an 18-foot in the ring, that's an amateur ring. It seems to me in an 18 to 20-foot ring, they're trying to take Billy Joe's advantage away from him, and we haven't got many advantages here.
"We're up against everything. Eddie Hearn has delivered this fight, but at what cost?
"He's not working with us. He's working against us in every opportunity. Matchroom need to pull their finger out, otherwise we will be coming home.
"I want the fight to happen, Billy Joe wants the fight to happen, but we will not budge on this."
Billy Joe Saunders is undefeated in 30 fights and is the current WBO super middleweight champion
Canelo is aiming to inflict the first defeat of Saunders' professional career and add the WBO strap to his WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine titles.
Saunders, however, is looking to replicate Tyson Fury's sensational upset win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 and with victory.
The "Gypsy King" has backed his friend to deliver a masterclass, similar to when Floyd Mayweather outpointed him back in 2013.
