- Matthew Macklin
Matthew Macklin has desperately tried to win a world title over the course of his hard career, fighting the best out there including Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin. Challenge Saunders would be his last chance and it would be a big fight in the UK but there are complications, they share the same management (so it’s unclear whether this would mean the fight is easier or harder to make) and Saunders has been using Macklin’s gym in Marbella.
- David Lemieux
The Canadian middleweight is a former world champion who should not be written off just because he couldn’t handle the masterful Gennady Golovkin. Against the Kazakh, Lemieux couldn’t get his shots off but he’s a heavy puncher, likes to rumble forward and if the all southpaw clash between Saunders and Lee wasn’t to everyone’s taste, Lemieux has the ingredients for an exciting encounter.
- Gennady Golovkin
Golovkin is widely regarded as the best in the division. He’s already declared his intention to harvest all the belts, which now puts Billy Joe in his sights. Saunders is a highly skilled boxer with fast hands. But Golovkin is yet another step up from Andy Lee and Saunders believes he needs 18 more months before facing GGG.
- Miguel Cotto
The former WBC middleweight champion is the biggest name in the sport after Manny Pacquiao. After losing his title, firstly due to a dispute with the WBC, and then losing to Saul Alvarez, Cotto may well want to reclaim a world crown before bowing out of the sport. He has been operating at catchweights below 160lbs, but Saunders isn’t the largest of middleweights and may well be able to shed extra weight, espeicially if appropriately financially incentivised.
- Chris Eubank Jnr
Their first encounter was one of the biggest fights of 2014 and that was for the British, Commonwealth and European titles. That fight was an intriguing one, with Eubank coming back into contention in the second half and the personal hostility and bitterness between the two has only grown since. With Saunders’ world title on the line a rematch would be a huge event in the UK.
