Billy Joe Saunders has opened up about Canelo Alvarez's punching power. The former WBO super-middleweight champion shared his thoughts on their 2021 fight, which ended with Saunders nursing a broken eye socket.
Saunders, who's been out of the ring since that May 2021 bout, didn't hold back when talking about the Mexican superstar's abilities. The 35-year-old English boxer praised Canelo's ring smarts but wasn't blown away by his power.
"I didn't find no freaky power, I didn't find something in there that really shocked me."
The fight, which took place at AT&T; Stadium in Arlington, Texas, saw Saunders start strong. He felt he was gaining the upper hand as the bout progressed.
"After six I thought 'do you know what I can feel him trying to drop the pace with his feints', I could feel his pace dropping and I thought I was just growing more confidence."
But Canelo had other plans. The Mexican boxer landed a thunderous uppercut that fractured Saunders' eye socket, leading to a TKO victory when Saunders' corner stopped the fight after the eighth round.
Reflecting on the fight, Saunders likened Canelo's strategy to that of a skilled snooker player, always thinking several moves ahead.
"It's like snooker, you see all the great players, you can pot a ball but they think four, five, six shots ahead, and he let me get away with minor stuff at the beginning and he capitalized on it."
Saunders admitted he got a bit careless, which Canelo exploited. The English boxer's honesty sheds light on the complexities of facing a boxer of Canelo's caliber.
While Saunders remains inactive, Canelo's career moves forward. The boxing superstar will face William Scull on May 3 for the IBF super middleweight championship. A win will make Canelo the undisputed champion at 168lbs for the second time in his career.
Saunders' full interview offers more insights into his experience facing Canelo and provides a unique perspective on one of boxing's biggest stars.
