BILLY JOE SAUNDERS and Martin Murray, who will contest the WBO middleweight title on June 23, have condemned the six month ban meted out to Canelo Alvarez after the Mexican failed a drug test for traces of clenbuterol.
Both see the ban as too lenient. โThey should let everybody take drugs [if thatโs going to be the penalty],โ said Saunders. โThere have got to be consequences. Because whoeverโs in that ring, theyโve got families to go back to.
โThey should be banned for life.โ
Murray echoed those sentiments. โItโs a load of b******,โ Martin said. โThe fact that heโs got a six month ban, anyone else not as high profile as him would have got a two year banโฆ Itโs not right and itโs a load of b******.
โIt is no deterrent for these fight young fighters coming up.โ
โTo be banned for six months I donโt get it,โ promoter Frank Warren echoed. โMost guys who operate at that level fight twice a yearโฆ Itโs pointless the whole thing is just a pointless exercise.
โIf you want to stop drug taking in boxing, youโve got to be severe.โ
It would however be hard for Murray or Saunders to walk away from a potential fight with Canelo, given the kind of money he generates. โFor that type of money I think my mum would fight him. And I think sheโd win, knowing my mum,โ Martin said.
โBoxing is a business,โ Saunders conceded. โNow heโs gone down in my estimation so muchโฆ Heโs a cheatโฆ
โI donโt agree with what heโs done.โ
But their focus has to be on their own world title fight at the O2 Arena in London on June 23. โYou do get overlooked a bit,โ Murray warned. โLetโs just focus on this fight first.
โI have got respect for Billy, heโs a good lad. He stands in the way of me finally becoming world champion and getting those big money fights.
โThereโs never been a world champion from St. Helens so I want to create a legacy for myself.โ
โIn my own heart and my own head, I know I can dig deep,โ Saunders said. โI want to move on to bigger and better the same as he doesโฆ Iโm chasing the big fights.
โThe reason why I took Martin Murray โฆ is because I need someone to get up to train for,โ he added. โHe went 11 rounds with Golovkin, fought his heart out and Iโve got to give him respect forย that.
โAm I as good as Golovkin with Martin Murray?โ
We’ll see on June 23.