SAUL ‘CANELO’ ALVAREZ has named British two-weight world champion Billy Joe Saunders as the opponent that annoyed him the most.
The pair met back in May 2021 in a super-middleweight unification clash for Canelo’s WBC and WBA titles and the WBO belt held by Saunders.
There was a fractious build-up to the encounter at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium and Saunders even threatened to pull out of the contest during fight week due to a dispute over ring size.
However they came to a compromise and met in a 22-foot ring in Texas with Canelo winning via stoppage when Saunders did not emerge for the ninth round due to an eye injury sustained from a vicious uppercut in the eighth.
And now the Mexican, 34, says Saunders was the opponent which ‘p****d him off’ the most, adding that it made his victory even sweeter.
“Billy Joe Saunders,” Canelo told PBC. “That f****r p****d me off. That’s why he got what he deserved.
“Some fighters… they talk to sell the fight or themselves but I think Saunders is a bad person so I really enjoyed beating that guy.”
Saunders was 30-0 before facing Canelo and has not boxed since the defeat that night. Canelo, meanwhile, has fought seven times, winning six, and is set to face Edgar Berlanga at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on September 14.
