WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders puts his world title on the line against David Lemieux in Laval, Canada on Saturday (December 16).
Saunders believes victory will put him on course for Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez or even a middleweight world championship unification with IBF, WBC and WBA titlist Gennady Golovkin.
“When I win this fight, the one I want is Canelo. He’s a global superstar. He’s the one you have to beat to get recognized at the high potential of this game. I would love to work with Oscar De La Hoya and Frank Warren Promotions to make that fight after, but I’ll be up for that fight with Canelo,” Saunders said.
“Listen, if I will come to Canada to spank David, I will go to Las Vegas, Mexico, wherever they want, to be in the fight. I’m not in it for money. I’m not in it for anything else. I’m in it because I want to be involved in big fights. Now I’ve got my hand in the big pot, I don’t want to make any slip-ups. So I’ve got to make sure I’m 100 million percent on Saturday night, which I will be,” Saunders added.
“I know that Golovkin and Canelo, they hold the ace card. I offered to fight Golovkin in June, but he passed up on the opportunity. Not that he was scared or frightened, but he had big business to do with Canelo. So if them two aren’t fighting, it makes more sense now. Me beating one of Oscar De La Hoya’s boxers in Canada, also gives me more of a chance to fight Canelo. Either one of them come along, I would love to fight Canelo.”
