Former world champion Billy Joe Saunders will not be making a comeback to boxing after enjoying his time away from the sport.
That’s the view of a fan who spotted the Hatfield boxer about sixteen months after his last fight.
Billy Joe Saunders
Saunders lost to Canelo Alvarez in May 2021. His performance went well until a facial injury, and Canelo’s power stopped him in the bout’s second half.
At the time, Saunders was level with Canelo on the WBN scorecard.
But within weeks of the defeat, Saunders gained weight and looked ready to retire.
Sightings posted on social media confirmed that Saunders was far from being in condition to compete.
This article’s image on the right was supposed to be an actual picture of Saunders from last year. However, it hasn’t ever gotten ratified.
Still, many hoped that the 33-year-old’s enjoyment would be temporary. A fan who saw Saunders this week believes that it remains the case.
They claimed: “After seeing Billy Joe Saunders this morning, I can confirm that he will not be making a comeback. Red bulls, [cigarettes], and snacks – the lot!”
Meanwhile, Saunders has emerged for interviews despite being largely silent since the aftermath of Canelo.
The two-weight world champion aired his views on the forthcoming clash between ex-opponent Chris Eubank Jr. and welterweight star Conor Benn.
Eubank Jr vs Benn
Saunders told a DAZN podcast: “Many people favor Eubank because of the size. You know, the clever thing that the Benns have done here is put the weight restriction on it.
“Now, it all depends on how he’s going to handle that at 32.”
When adding his view on what most people see as a one-sided fight for Eubank, Saunders stated: “I’m going to put it out there as a complete fifty-fifty fight.
“If you could give Conor Benn another year’s experience and then give him the advantage of the weight scenario, I would most definitely – without hesitation – say Conor Benn.
“But with the experience – Eubank’s got, he’s been in some big fights.”
Chatting to Benn about the fight, Saunders sees the son of a legend focused enough to pull off the shock.
“Conor Benn, you can never write him off. I’ve just got a feeling that he will pull something out of the bag.
“I’ve talked to him, and I’ve been talking to him for a while. He looks so composed, and he wants it so badly. There’s something on the line here that no one will ever understand, only them. I believe that Conor wants it more.”
Benn chance
Concluding on why he thinks Benn has a chance, Saunders couldn’t resist another dig at his old rival.
“I stand by my statement as long as my name’s Billy Joe Saunders. He will never become world champion because there’s one thing he can’t do, and that’s box [well].”
Saunders has fought just three times in over three years. He was linked to big fights until images of him overweight went viral.
Hopefully, he can get himself back in shape. Because if Eubank Jr. wins against Benn, UK fans want that rematch to happen.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
