Saunders and Murray condemn Canelo Alvarez ban

Canelo Alvarez

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. โ€œThey should let everybody take drugs [if thatโ€™s going to be the penalty],โ€ said Saunders. โ€œThere have got to be consequences. Because whoeverโ€™s in that ring, theyโ€™ve got families to go back to.

โ€œThey should be banned for life.โ€

Murray echoed those sentiments. โ€œItโ€™s a load of b******,โ€ Martin said. โ€œThe fact that heโ€™s got a six month ban, anyone else not as high profile as him would have got a two year banโ€ฆ Itโ€™s not right and itโ€™s a load of b******.

โ€œIt is no deterrent for these fight young fighters coming up.โ€

โ€œTo be banned for six months I donโ€™t get it,โ€ promoter Frank Warren echoed. โ€œMost guys who operate at that level fight twice a yearโ€ฆ Itโ€™s pointless the whole thing is just a pointless exercise.

โ€œIf you want to stop drug taking in boxing, youโ€™ve 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. โ€œFor that type of money I think my mum would fight him. And I think sheโ€™d win, knowing my mum,โ€ Martin said.

โ€œBoxing is a business,โ€ Saunders conceded. โ€œNow heโ€™s gone down in my estimation so muchโ€ฆ Heโ€™s a cheatโ€ฆ

โ€œI donโ€™t agree with what heโ€™s done.โ€

canelo alvarez vs ggg

But their focus has to be on their own world title fight at the O2 Arena in London on June 23. โ€œYou do get overlooked a bit,โ€ Murray warned. โ€œLetโ€™s just focus on this fight first.

โ€œI have got respect for Billy, heโ€™s a good lad. He stands in the way of me finally becoming world champion and getting those big money fights.

โ€œThereโ€™s never been a world champion from St. Helens so I want to create a legacy for myself.โ€

โ€œIn my own heart and my own head, I know I can dig deep,โ€ Saunders said. โ€œI want to move on to bigger and better the same as he doesโ€ฆ Iโ€™m chasing the big fights.

โ€œThe reason why I took Martin Murray โ€ฆ is because I need someone to get up to train for,โ€ he added. โ€œHe went 11 rounds with Golovkin, fought his heart out and Iโ€™ve got to give him respect forย  that.

โ€œAm I as good as Golovkin with Martin Murray?โ€

We’ll see on June 23.

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