James Tennyson will face Josh O’Reilly in an Eliminator for the WBA Lightweight World Title on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ WBO Super-Middleweight World Title defence against Martin Murray at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Friday December 4, shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN.

Tennyson (27-3, 23 KOs) continued his destructive form last time out in August at Matchroom Fight Camp as he claimed the vacant British Lightweight Title with a powerful sixth round stoppage win over brave Welshman Gavin Gwynne.

O’Reilly (16-0, 6 KOs) is undefeated in 16 fights since turning professional in July 2014, and the 29-year-old Canadian holds the North American Boxing Association Lightweight Title and a top ten ranking with the WBA. 

“I’ve been grafting away with Eddie for over three years now and it has been an incredible journey, and while I’ve collected British, Commonwealth & European Titles, I feel I’m only getting warmed up,” said Tennyson. “I want the full deck, so I am continuously prepared to go deep until I get the World Title.

“Josh O’Reilly is undefeated and a great test for me, he is ranked 8 with the WBA and is their North American Champion, I am number 10 and the WBA International Champion, so we both have a lot to gain and it is a great achievement for us both to get this far.

“While it is pretty amazing to be out twice this year in big fights given the current climate we are living in, I’m getting pretty fed up with hearing these American’s names being thrown about as the next big thing. I would take Gamboa out in a few rounds and after the O’Reilly eliminator, I want to be headlining bills!”

Following a stunning 11th round knockout win in his last fight, Derby’s Zach Parker (19-0, 13 KOs) will be looking to impress again as he takes on Spain’s Cesar Nunez (17-2-1, 9 KOs) for the WBO International Super-Middleweight Title, aiming to keep hold of his Mandatory spot for Saunders’ World Title. 

“I’m here and I’m ready to go again,” said Parker. “Everyone knows I’m in the game to win World Titles and fight on big shows. I’m ranked by the WBO as Billy Joe Saunders’ Mandatory, he knows who I am, and I’m coming for him. It is my dream to bring a World Title back to Derby and I’ve worked really hard with my team to get into a place where we’re not far from a shot at that.”
 
Tennyson vs. O’Reilly and Parker vs. Nunez land on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ (29-0, 14 KOs) WBO Super-Middleweight World Title defence against Martin Murray (39-5-1, 17 KOs), with more undercard additions to be announced shortly. 

Following a stunning 11th round KO in his last fight, Zach Parker (19-0-13 KOs) will be looking to impress again as he defends his WBO International Super Middleweight title against Cesar Nunez (17-2-1-9KOs). 

The fight takes place on December 4th at Wembley Arena and will be live on Sky Sports and DAZN.

Ranked second by the WBO, sitting behind only Canelo and Champion Saunders, Parker is on a journey towards a world title shot of his own.

Last time out Parker expertly dispatched highly rated Rohan Murdock, then unbeaten in 22, with a showreel knockout to claim the WBO International Super Middleweight Title.

Parker believes he’s in line to make another statement on Dec 4th.

“I’m here and I’m ready to go again” said Derby County fan Parker. “Everyone knows I’m in the game to win world titles and fight on big shows. I’m ranked by the WBO as Billy Joe Saunders mandatory, he knows who I am, and I’m coming for him. 

It’s my dream to bring a World Title back to Derby and I’ve worked really hard with my team to get into a place where we’re not far from a shot at that.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland says he can’t wait to see his charge in the ring again.

“Zach is one of the most exciting fighters in the super middleweight division and one that is within touching distance of world level fights. He’s shown on a number of occasions now that he’s got heart, he can box and most importantly he’s got big punching power, capable of finishing a fight with one punch. He’s on his way to the top and December 4th is another opportunity for him to show what he can do.”

Neil Marsh, Parker’s manager echoed the thoughts, while acknowledging the challenges the sport has faced this year.

“I’m delighted to see Zach out before Christmas in what’s been a difficult time for the sport, Zach is the real deal and a monster at super middleweight. In 2021 the kid will arrive with a bang on the world stage. 

I’d like to thank the Sauerlands for the opportunity and thank Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for the place on the bill”

The card’s main event sees Billy Joe Saunders make the second defence of his WBO Super-Middleweight World Title against British rival Martin Murray at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Friday December 4th, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.

Billy Joe Saunders will make the second defence of his WBO Super-Middleweight World Title against British rival Martin Murray at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Friday December 4, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in all of its nine markets including the U.S.

Hatfield star Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) became a two-weight World Champion with a shutout points win over Shefat Isufi in May 2019, outclassing his Serbian opponent over 12 rounds to add the WBO 168lbs crown to his collection. 

The former Middleweight ruler was on the verge of securing a mega fight with Mexican pound-for-pound icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez earlier this year before the coronavirus pandemic turned the sporting world on its head and scuppered his shot at greatness. 

Four-time World Title challenger Murray (39-5-1, 17 KOs) stands in the way of unification fights for Saunders in 2021, and the St Helens man is more determined than ever to finally land a World Title of his own and put his rivalry with Saunders to bed after their scheduled meeting in 2018 fell through twice. 

“I am very happy to be defending my WBO World Title again,” said Saunders. “I haven’t boxed for a year and I really do miss being in the ring. I can’t wait to have my 30th professional fight and finish the year with a bang before a big 2021.

“The coronavirus pandemic has affected everybody in many ways, and it has had a big impact on the sport of boxing. The Canelo Alvarez fight falling through was very frustrating for me but now the journey continues in December. 

“Martin and I were supposed to fight twice before but it didn’t happen either time. He said some stuff and so did I, so let’s see who can back it up. I’m enjoying training with Mark Tibbs. He’s incredibly knowledgeable in the sport of boxing and we are working on new stuff that we will show on the night.”

“I’m really looking forward to getting back in there and fighting for another World Title,” said Murray. “The big fights definitely bring out the best in me. This year has been a good year for me personally. It seemed like all the stresses of life were taken away so I really enjoyed being able to relax a bit more and spend even more time with my family.

“There was no bad blood really between me and Billy to be honest, it was just a lot of frustration after he pulled out twice. That got left where it was, but we’ve definitely got some unfinished business. I’m expecting a hard fight and Billy Joe to be at his best, so I’ll be ready.”

“I’m delighted to announce another big fight for the 2020 schedule as we close out this tough year with a huge bang,” said Eddie Hearn. “All-British World Title fights are always special, especially in the Super-Middleweight division, and I’m really excited to see Billy back in the ring. We were 24 hours away from an announcement for Billy to fight Canelo when the pandemic hit and so it throws up the final roll of the dice for Martin Murray who will give it everything on December 4.”

“We’re bringing you more World Title action on our Sky Sports schedule during a thrilling end to the boxing calendar, which also features the return of Katie Taylor and some huge Heavyweight nights on Sky Sports Box Office,” said Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports.

“Billy Joe Saunders defends his WBO Super-Middleweight belt in an all-British battle against Martin Murray, with live boxing back on a Friday night! Katie Taylor returns next month on a triple-header of women’s World Title fights – and Britain’s Heavyweights also take centre stage as Usyk vs. Chisora, Povetkin vs. Whyte 2 and AJ vs. Pulev will guarantee Heavyweight drama.”

Eddie Hearn and Tony Bellew are back with the fifth instalment of our ‘Talk the Talk’ series, which airs tonight at 7pm (BST) on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel.

This week the duo are joined by YouTube sensation KSI who defeated rival YouTuber Logan Paul at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles back in November and reigning undefeated WBO Super-Middleweight World Champion Billy Joe Saunders. 

“Episode 5 of 6 is another cracker,” said Hearn. “Billy Joe I think has got it in him to deliver on the big stage and it was great to discuss these potential mega fights and also check in with KSI, who has his new album out. Will we see him back in the ring with Jake Paul? I think so down the line.”

“It was great finding out a little bit more and speaking with KSI,” added Bellew. “I now look at him as someone who works very hard, sometimes you have to put your hands up – You have to admire his work ethic. Billy Joe is a diamond, we go back years and it was great to catchup and hear his plans – Deep down he has a good heart.”

Talk The Talk premieres tonight at 7pm (BST) tonight

Demetrius Andrade hopes to finally get to face bitter rival Billy Joe Saunders when boxing returns – and told Matchroom Boxing’s Podcast ‘The Lockdown Tapes’ that he would ‘bust up’ the Brit if they clashed.
THE LOCKDOWN TAPES WITH DEMETRIUS ANDRADE IS ALSO ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!
Andrade (29-0 18 KOs) was due to face Saunders in October 2018 for the Londoner’s WBO crown but the Briton failed a drugs test and subsequently relinquished the title. 

Andrade would win the vacant belt against Walter Kautondokwa in Boston and has since defended the title with imposing wins over Artur Akavov, Maciej Sulecki and Luke Keeler. The Rhode Island star has been hunting a massive fight to stamp his authority on the 160lbs division before moving up to Super-Middleweight, and the 32 year old ran the rule over his rivals at both weights as he itches to get back in the ring.

“I was willing to fight Billy Joe after a 15 month lay-off but that didn’t happen and I am willing to fight him again,” said Andrade. “If I can’t get Canelo then it’s Billy Joe or Charlo at 160. At 168 we’ve got Callum Smith. I would bust Billy Joe Saunders up at 160 or 168, that’s not a problem. 

“I consider Danny Jacobs one of the best Middleweights out there, but would I fight him, yeah! If it came to the point where we were going to make X amount, then we could make it happen, but I grew up with him and we have a brothership and mutual connections. Fighting him isn’t something I’m looking to do.

“I don’t want to talk about Liam Williams because there is nothing to talk about. What do I have to say? We know Jacobs, Canelo, GGG, Sergey Derevyenchenko and Billy Joe want to fight, who am I going to fight? Billy Joe or Liam Williams? Who do you want to see? 

“I saw Billy Joe in the airport not too long ago. He said ‘what do you think about me and you?’ and I told him ‘he doesn’t want to fight me and for him to go and enjoy his life’.

“It might be Williams but I’m not fighting Canelo or Charlo or Billy Joe behind closed doors because I want to shut them up in front of people! And tell them ‘It’s me again’!”

Fans can find Andrade’s episode plus previous episodes with, Joshua Buatsi, Devin Haney, Joseph Parker, Josh Warrington, Daniel Jacobs, Joe Cordina and Liam Smith here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-matchroom-boxing-podcast/id1506174562

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YRAWQS5JXB0OvM8vCqZxq

Matchroom Website: https://www.matchroomboxing.com/lockdown-tapes-podcast/

Daniel Jacobs is targeting Super-Middleweight champions Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders as he told the latest episode of Matchroom Boxing’s Podcast ‘The Lockdown Tapes’ the steps he needs to take to reach the hall of fame.
 ‘THE LOCKDOWN TAPES’ PODCAST WITH DANIEL JACOBS IS ALSO ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!
Jacobs (36-3 30 KOs) took his first step on the path to two-weight World glory in December when he defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on a wild night in Phoenix, Arizona, with Jacobs marking his arrival at 168lbs by forcing Chavez Jr to retire on his stool after five rounds.

The ‘Miracle Man’ held the WBA Middleweight strap in 2014-16 before a close unification battle with Gennady Golovkin and then regained his World championship status in 2018 landing the IBF strap and putting that on the line in a Cinco de Mayo showdown in Las Vegas last year, with that clash with the Mexican megastar the final night at Middleweight for Jacobs.

Liverpool man Smith is regarded as the top dog in the Super-Middleweight division, holding the WBA and Ring Magazine belts while Saunders picked up the WBO crown having made his own move up from 160lbs. All three fighters are promoted by Eddie Hearn, and Jacobs hopes that a World title bout with either champion can be made so he can stake his claim for the hall of fame – but before he gets to them, he has an itch he wants to scratch first, in the shape of Gabriel Rosado, the brash Philadelphian that has been poking at Jacobs for a showdown.

“I want to be a Hall of Famer one day and winning a belt in this weight division is what I need to do to achieve that,” said Jacobs. “You are going to see the best version of Daniel Jacobs now and I’m looking at the likes of Callum and Billy Joe, both of those fights make sense.

“Looking at my track record I have really fought some good guys in the last two years. I have been able to face the best in the division in my era and that’s what makes me most happy.

“It only makes sense for me coming into this division to fight the very best,” said Jacobs. “I want to be able to prove that I am the best. As well as wanting the big fights, there is also the fights where you want to settle the debt which is what I have always said about that little nag Gabe Rosado. If we were to fight in New York or Philadelphia then great, it’s onwards from there. He is just a hater who wants my position.”

Jacobs’ position is a healthy one, with lofty rankings across the board putting him in prime shape for a World title crack when boxing returns. The 32 year old recognizes that return is up in the air and says he’s open to the prospect of fighting behind closed doors while sport takes a back seat to the ongoing health crisis – with Jacobs happy to put his trust in promoter Eddie Hearn, with whom he signed his deal with back in September 2017 to become the Essex-based promoter’s first American signing and the catalyst for the Matchroom Boxing USA expansion, to guide him through the latest chapter of his remarkable career.

“I would like to fight this year, but we don’t know at this time,” said Jacobs. “We don’t know how long this process is going to take. Fighting behind closed doors would be a strange experience but if I felt that the fans wanted to see me fight then I would make that sacrifice for them, it would be cool.

“It was Eddie’s slick hair and nice suits that drew me here! I loved the appeal of how Eddie looked after his fighters and it was a great opportunity to be the first signee of Matchroom Boxing USA, I couldn’t ask for a better situation, being a part of this has been epic.

“I will always have my involvement in the sport, whether that’s commentating or having my own fighters and I will know when it is my time to explore those new things in my life. Firstly, I’ll be giving it a good go in the Super-Middleweight division.”

Fans can find Jacobs’ episode of ‘The Lockdown Tapes’ plus previous episodes with Joshua Buatsi, Devin Haney, Joseph Parker, Josh Warrington and Joe Cordina here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-matchroom-boxing-podcast/id1506174562

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YRAWQS5JXB0OvM8vCqZxq

Matchroom Website: https://www.matchroomboxing.com/lockdown-tapes-podcast/

By Norm Frauenehim-

Big fight weeks are little bit like the seasons. They are on the calendar, a date to anticipate, celebrate and debate. Next week was supposed to be Canelo Alvarez-Billy Joe Saunders. Maybe, the May 2^nd bout in Las Vegas would have been a good one. Maybe, it would have been a colossal dud.

But at least it would have been there, a reliable moment for the week-long routine before any opening bell. The give-and-take can be funny, then compelling, sometimes bloody, always edgy and often outrageous. It’s a crazy mix, but the chaos is imminent.

You can plan for it.

Not much to plan for now.

That calendar is as empty as the Vegas Strip. The emptiness is unnerving. It’s impossible to plan for what can’t be seen.

No neon, no nothing.

There’s no telling when the lights will come back on for boxing, or much of anything else these days in a world gripped by a crippling pandemic. We stay at home. We stay a so-called safe distance away from friends and neighbors. We stand in line outside of grocery stories, hoping to score a roll of toilet paper and looking for shelter at the first sound of a dry cough.

We watch bikers stare down nurses wearing masks in front of state capitols in protests that include people wearing AK-47s. I like the nurses’ chances at shooting down coronavirus a lot better than any of the thugs with weapons. The nurses are lot smarter. A lot tougher too.

I’d also prefer to see a Canelo-Saunders stare-down, too. It’s a lot safer.

There was a time when it looked as if Canelo-Saunders might mark the beginning of a boxing comeback from the pandemic. But that was before the Strip went dark, before the crowds moved out and the coyotes moved in. That was a couple of months ago. Seems like a different era now, and it was in ominous ways that continue to emerge.

There’s no telling how long the virus will hang around. There’s no idea whether it will vanish during summer heat and then make a vicious comeback in the fall. There’s just that emptiness.

Canelo, himself, hopes to be back in the ring in September, perhaps for a third middleweight-title fight against Gennadiy Golovkin.

“In my mind, I’ll be fighting in September, so hopefully this whole issue will pass and we can follow through with that possible date,’’ Canelo told Box Azteca.  “I do not know what is coming next, because everything is off. There were very good plans for this 2020, so hopefully in a month we will see positive results.”

If there was anywhere to place a bet on that in Vegas right now, you probably wouldn’t get very good odds. Increasingly, sports look as though they won’t be back as we know them until there’s a vaccine. That probably means next year.

Big crowds are where the virus gets transmitted the most. The beginning of the pandemic in northern Italy has been blamed on a soccer game in Milan. The pandemic took root in Louisiana because of the Mardi Gras party up-and-down Bourbon Street in New Orleans. If the virus has a chance to come back after a summer departure, it’ll happen while tailgating before a college football game or in the beer line before opening bell to a big fight in Vegas.

Germany just announced it has cancelled Octoberfest, Mardi Gras with a German accent. It’s a sure sign that the virus is expected to be around in some way through the end of this year, or at least until there’s a vaccine.

Boxing already has modest plans for its initial return. Top Rank’s Bob Arum is exploring ways to put together cards that will provide some live content for ESPN, perhaps as early as this summer. But the big bouts – a Canelo-Saunders kind of bout – will have to wait.

“There’s a limit to what we can do,” Arum told Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher in a two-part interview in the Catching Up With Crystina series. “It’s not going to be easy. Everybody has to be patient.’’

The cards would essentially be studio events, featuring fighters who would ordinarily appear on undercards for major bouts. There would be no fans. No live crowds mean no known stars. Promoters need the big gate to pay the big purses.

“Where the gate money is so much a big percentage of the revenue, I don’t see how you can do it without spectators,” Arum said.

That raises another question. When the pandemic ends, will anybody have enough money to buy a ticket at pre-coronavirus prices? Will the game’s richest fighters be willing to accept a fraction of the money they earned before the pandemic? Unemployment is projected to be at Depression-like levels.

Pockets figure to be empty.

Hard to plan for that, too.

Rumors abound that Canelo Alvarez will take on Gennady Golovkin for a 3rd time after he fights Billy Joe Saunders, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Zach Parker and Rohan Murdock, the No.1 and No.2 ranked Super-Middleweights with the WBO, will clash at Manchester Arena on Saturday March 7, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, with the winner eyeing a shot a reigning World Champion Billy Joe Saunders.
 
Undefeated British Super-Middleweight Champion Parker (18-0, 12 KOs) returns to the ring following his stoppage win over Steven Crambert at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow while Australia’s Murdock (24-1, 7 KOs) fights in the UK for the first time after his WBO Oriental Title win over Rolando Wenceslao.
 
“I’m delighted to be fighting Rohan Murdock,” said Parker. “This is the fight where I arrive at the top level. I’ve had to be patient and it’s been very difficult at times, but we are here now. I’m going to put on a great performance and put the big names on notice that I’m coming.
 
“I’d personally like to thank my manager Neil Marsh, my coach Errol Johnson and the rest of my team. I’d also like to thank the Sauerland brothers for delivering this fantastic opportunity, and Eddie and Matchroom Boxing for staging the fight. Enjoy the fight everyone.”
 
“It’s not often that an Australian gets the chance to travel and fight in front of a huge arena crowd,” said Murdock. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity provided by MTK Global and Matchroom Boxing, and I’m excited to soak up the experience.
 
“I have a lot of respect for my opponent Zach Parker. Parker is a skilled boxer with fast hands. I know I belong at this level and Parker is the perfect opponent to prove that.
 
“Fans coming to watch me fight can expect to see a boxer who has dedicated his life to the sport with the vision of securing this opportunity. They can expect me to leave absolutely everything in the ring to get the ‘W’ whether that’s using my boxing abilities or making an absolute dog fight, I’ll adapt to whatever is necessary. The Aussie spirit will be on full show.”
 
Nisse Sauerland, Parker’s promoter, said: “This is the opportunity Zach has been waiting for and one he is going to take with both hands. We’re very happy to be working with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing to place this fight on a great card at the Manchester Arena. Rohan Murdock is a good fighter deserving of his ranking, but this is Zach’s time to shine. We expect him to steal the show and then the World Title is next!”
 
“I firmly believe Zach Parker is one of the best prospects in the UK right now but patience has had to be shown to secure the right opportunity and this is here right now,” said Neil Marsh, Parker’s manager. “Zach will shine at the Manchester Arena on 7th March.”
 
Parker vs. Murdock is part of a huge night of action in Manchester.
 
Main event sees Scott Quigg (35-2-2, 26 KOs) take on Jono Carroll (17-1-1, 3 KOs) in an exciting Super-Featherweight matchup, Manchester Heavyweight contender Hughie Fury (23-3, 13 KOs) returns as he looks to fight his way back into title action in 2020, Liverpool Super-Welterweight talent Anthony Fowler (11-1, 8 KOs) continues his hunt for a rematch with Scott Fitzgerald, Sheffield Super-Lightweight starlet Dalton Smith (4-0, 3 KOs) looks to go 5-0, Bolton’s Jack Cullen (17-2, 8 KOs) returns after his FOTY contender with Felix Cash, ‘The Albanian Bear’ Reshat Mati (6-0, 4 KO’s) makes his UK debut in a Welterweight contest, Ricky Hatton-trained Super-Featherweight Ibrahim Nadim (1-0) looks to impress and there’s action for Oldham Lightweight Aqib Fiaz (4-0) and Liverpool Super-Flyweight Blane Hyland (2-0), with more fights to be announced soon.
 
Tickets priced £40, £60, £100 and £200 (VIP) are available to purchase now via Manchester Arena (www.manchester-arena.com), StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com). 

Sheffield Super-Featherweight prospect Donte Dixon has heaped praise on his manager Billy Joe Saunders ahead of his third professional bout against Eduardo Valverde on the undercard of Kell Brook vs. Mark DeLuca at the FlyDSA Arena this Saturday, live on Sky Sports Facebook.

The 20-year-old has made a perfect start to life in the paid ranks, outpointing Naheem Chaudry on his debut at the Civic Centre in Mansfield in October before stopping Vladislavs Davidaitis in two rounds at the famous York Hall just before Christmas.

Guided by undefeated two-weight World Champion Saunders alongside leading management company MTK Global, Dixon believes his career is in the perfect hands as he promises to deliver a memorable performance in his hometown this weekend.

“It’s my first fight in my city on Saturday and I’m looking forward to smashing it by putting on a punch perfect performance for all my supporters in Sheffield,” Dixon told MTK Global. “I’m very excited. I just love fighting and I can’t wait to show everyone my skills.

“I’ve been very pleased with my career so far, from my first fight it’s just got better and better. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds. It’s amazing having Billy Joe help guide my career because he’s someone I’ve always watched even when I was a kid coming up in the amateurs.

“He’s an undefeated two-weight World Champion and he’s been there and done everything, he’s the perfect man to have in my corner and an endless fountain of knowledge. I feel privileged to be working alongside such a professional outfit in MTK Global and I’m excited for my future in the sport.

“I look forward to stepping up in the ranks slowly but surely learning my trade as I go along and getting the right fights and stepping up the rounds. Fans can expect to see a boxing master class, you’ll see me boxing on the front foot, back foot, southpaw and orthodox. I’ll show all my skills in that ring.”

Dixon vs. Valverde is part of a huge night of action in Sheffield.

Kell Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) will be aiming to shake off the ring rust and fire his name back into the mix for a Word Title shot in 2020 when he meets the USA’s Mark DeLuca (24-1, 13 KOs), Kid Galahad (26-1, 15 KOs) takes on Claudio Marrero (24-3, 17 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Featherweight crown, Terri Harper (9-0, 5 KOs) clashes with Finland’s Eva Wahlstrom (23-1-2, 3 KOs) in a unification for the WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles, Anthony Tomlinson (11-0, 6 KOs) takes on Stewart Burt (13-1-1, 1 KO) in an Eliminator for the British and Commonwealth Welterweight titles, Dave Allen (17-5-2, 14 KOs) makes his long-awaited return after eight months out of the ring, Brentwood Super-Featherweight Martin Joseph Ward (23-1-2, 11 KOs) returns, Super-Middleweight John Docherty (7-0, 5 KO) continues his march towards a first title and Sheffield Light-Heavyweight Callum Beardow (1-0) fights for the second time as a pro.

KSI defeated Logan Paul via split decision in front of a raucous crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The two did not show much technique but they fought hard.

In round four, Paul landed a huge uppercut that sent KSI to the canvas. Referee Jack Reiss ruled that Paul held KSI’s head down and deducted two points from Paul.

That was the difference because KSI won by scores of 57-54 and 56-54. Paul won a card 56-56.

Devin Haney retained the WBC Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Alfredo Santiago.

In round five, Haney landed a hard right that was followed by a left that put Santiago on the canvas.

In round 11, Santiago was cut over his left eye.

Haney, 135 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 120-107 on all cards and is now 24-0. Santiago, 135 lbs of Fajardo, PR is 12-1.

Billy Joe Saunders retained the WBO Super Middleweight title with an 11th round stoppage over Marcelo Coceres.

For most of the 1st 10 round Saunders was largely unimpressive. He kept Coceres in the fight as the challenger started to come on in the middle rounds.

In round 11, Saunders floored Coceres with a right hook that was followed by a left. Moments later, Saunders dropped Coceres hard with an uppercut. With Coceres hurt, Saunders finished off his opponent with a five punch flurry that sent Coceres down for a 3rd and final time, and the bout was stopped at 1:59.

Saunders, 167.4 lbs of Hatfield, UK is 29-0 with 14 knockouts Coceres, 168 lbs of San Jorge, ARG is 28-1-1.

Josh Brueckner won a four-round unanimous decision over Tyler Smith in a battle of pro debuting cruiserweights.

Brueckner, 199.2 lbs of Clinton, MI won on all cards 40-36.

Brueckner proposed to his girlfriend in the ring. She said YESS!!

Good looking 18 year-old prospect Diego Pacheco stopped Aaron Casper in round four of a scheduled six-round super middleweight bout.

In round one, Pacheco dropped Casper with two hard rights to the head.

In round four, it was a right hand that was followed by a left hook that sent Casper down for a 2nd time. Pacheco then landed a barrage of punches that was finished up by a hard left and right that sent Casper down again, and the bout was stopped at 2:49.

Pacheco, 167.2 lbs of Los Angeles is 7-0 with six knockouts. Casper, 166.6 lbs of Augusta, GA is 5-4.

Ronny Rios stopped Hugo Berrio in round four of their scheduled 12-round super bantamweight bout.

Rios dominated the action until he landed a perfect short right that sent Berrio down on the ropes, and the bout was stopped at 2:56.

Rios, 120.6 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is 32-3 with 16 knockouts. Berrio, 121.6 lbs of Santa Marta, COL is 28-8-1.

Nakita Ababiy remained undefeated by defeating Jonathan Batista via disqualification after round one of their four-round middleweight bout.

Ababiy dropped Batista in the 1st round with a left hook. Later in the round, Ababiy was docked a point for hitting behind the head. Batista hit Ababiy after the bell and he was disqualified after the round.

Ababiy of New York is 8-0. Batista of Dominican Republic is 19-16.

Billy Joe Saunders will make his long-awaited US debut when he defends his WBO Super-Middleweight World title for the first time on the blockbuster KSI vs. Logan Paul 2 show at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Saturday November 9, live on DAZN.

Saunders (28-0, 13 KOs) became a two-weight World Champion with a shutout points win over Shefast Isufi in Stevenage earlier this year, outclassing his Serbian opponent over 12 rounds to land the WBO 168lbs title.

The Hatfield southpaw’s first World title came against Irish fight legend Andy Lee at Manchester Arena in December 2015 when he floored the former champion twice in the third round on route to a majority decision to claim the WBO Middleweight crown.

Saunders signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing in August and is out to impress on his big DAZN debut later this year as he aims to secure megafights with the likes of Callum Smith, Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez.

“It feels like my professional debut all over again,” said Saunders. “I’m very excited to fight in front of the American fans for the first time in my professional career. The STAPLES Center is an unbelievable venue and I’m hearing that 20,000 people are expected to be packed in on the night.

“It’s a great chance to get some new fans onboard and a chance to capitalise on putting my name in the big lights in America. The KSI vs. Logan Paul rematch has really captured the imagination of the British and American public and it’s something that sells. Fair play to them both, it’s going to be a great show.

“People say, ‘oh you’re on the undercard’, but I feel like we’re all sharing the show, we’re all absorbing that energy off the fans. I’ve seen the numbers they attract, over six million people watched the press conference alone, and all eyes will be on us on November 9.

“I’m looking forward to making my debut with Matchroom Boxing live on DAZN. There’s been some brilliant names signed to DAZN recently and there’s some big names on the platform. It’s time to really put my impressing shoes on and put my name out there for those big fights to be made.”

“I’m really pleased for Billy that he will get to make his US debut on November 9 at the superb STAPLES Center,” said Eddie Hearn. “Everyone in the sport knows that he is one of the best out there at 160lbs and 168lbs and he wanted the opportunity to prove that he IS the best.

“This event will be huge with a chance for Billy to box in front of a massive global audience of boxing fans and a casual audience that we hope will fall in love with our sport. A strong performance in November can set up all the mega fights for him in 2020.”

Saunders’ opponent will be announced next week.

General sale tickets are available to purchase now via www.axs.com

Undefeated WBO Super-Middleweight World Champion Billy Joe Saunders has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, with his next fight to be announced next week.

Saunders (28-0, 13 KOs) became a two-weight World Champion with a shutout points win over Shefat Isufi in Stevenage earlier this year, outclassing his Serbian opponent over 12 rounds to land the WBO 168lbs title. 

The Hatfield southpaw’s first World title came against Irish fight legend Andy Lee at Manchester Arena in December 2015 when he floored the former Champion twice in the third round on route to a majority decision to claim the WBO Middleweight crown.

Successful defences followed against Artur Akavov, Willie Monroe Jr and, most notably, a career-best performance against David Lemieux on away soil in Canada where the 29-year-old star dismantled former IBF ruler Lemieux over 12 masterful rounds.

A former Southern Area, Commonwealth, British, WBO International and European Champion at Middleweight, Saunders is confident that his move to Matchroom Boxing will secure megafighs with new stablemates Callum Smith and Demetrius Andrade, as well as DAZN fighters Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. 

“This move is going to benefit me massively,” said Saunders. “Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing can put me right out on the branch for those big fights. I’m on Golovkin and Canelo’s turf. I’ve made this move to make them fights because I’m sick of hearing their bullsh*t excuses. Those fights make financial sense and they make sense because we’re on the same network. 

“I will go where the big fights are and I can fluctuate between Middle and Super-Middle. If the big fights are at Middleweight then I’ll have them at Middle. If they’re at Super-Middleweight then I’ll have them at Super. I’m a World Champion at Super-Middle so if anyone wants to come and try to win a belt then I’ve got one of the most recognised belts out there and I’m open to big offers. 

“I’m going to bring a lot of excitement to Sky Sports and DAZN. I’m a good talker but I can also walk the walk. Matchroom are going to give me more publicity and more exposure for these big fights and that’s what I need. Once people see me and they see what I’m about they’ll want to see me in those big fights.

“I can’t wait to be involved in those big nights that I’ve seen Matchroom put on over the years. If that means fighting at 168lbs or 8lbs lighter then that’s no problem. I’m ready to go and I’m hoping to be out at the end of October or early November.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “Welcome to the big league Billy Joe! This is a huge signing for us and the perfect place for Billy to be. Everyone in boxing knows how good Billy is and now he is going to get the chance to prove it against the elite.

“He holds a World title at 168 but can also make 160 comfortably and when you look at the fighters we work with across our platforms, this was an obvious link up. Fighters need to be motivated with regular dates and solid deliverable plans – now Billy finally has that you will see him shine on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said, “I’m absolutely delighted that Billy Joe Saunders has been announced as Eddie Hearn’s latest signing for Matchroom Boxing.

“Billy Joe is a huge talent, with mouthwatering fights available at Middleweight and Super-Middleweight, including Canelo, GGG, Demetrius Andrade, Danny Jacobs and that big domestic clash with Callum Smith.

“We’re very excited to have him on Sky Sports and look forward to seeing Billy Joe involved in some massive fights in the near future.”

Following a relationship that has spanned the whole professional career of Billy Joe Saunders, that has included World Titles in two weight divisions, Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren and Saunders have agreed terms for an amicable release from his promotional contract.

Frank Warren enjoyed a successful partnership with Billy Joe in which he guided him in an unblemished run of British, Commonwealth, European and World Championships at both Middle and Super Middleweight. The partnership saw many big fights at different career levels, which has included wins over John Ryder, Chris Eubank Jr, Andy Lee and David Lemieux.

Whilst holding the WBO World Middleweight Championship, Billy Joe signed contracts to unify the World Middleweight titles against Gennady Golovkin, which did not ultimately take place due to Golovkin not signing and returning the contract but pursuing the Canelo Alvarez fight.

An outstanding career best win against Lemieux in Canada where Saunders announced himself to North American Boxing fans, unfortunately was followed by problems outside of the ring, a period of injury and having to vacate his World Title, losing the momentum built after his win.

Following dialogue between Frank Warren, Billy Joe and his management company MTK over recent weeks, it was mutually agreed that after struggling to regain this collective momentum, and with certain fights not immediately available within the partnership, that it is in the interests of both parties to pursue their respective goals separately.

Frank Warren and all the team at Queensberry Promotions have enjoyed a great personal relationship with Billy Joe over the years and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

We are sure that Billy Joe can continue to demonstrate his always unquestionable talent and we look forward to seeing him achieve the remaining goals he has left in his career.

Frank Warren said “I’ve really enjoyed working with Billy Joe through his whole professional career and guiding him to become British, Commonwealth, European and a two Weight World Champion.

I’m personally very fond of Billy Joe and I wish him every success in the remainder of his career.”

Billy Joe Saunders said, “First of all, I just want to say a massive thank you to Frank for everything he has done for my career over the past decade.

Frank signed me after the 2008 Olympics and was with me every step of the way as I won the British, Commonwealth and European titles before becoming a world champion in two divisions.

It feels a little bittersweet and I’ll always be appreciative for everything Frank has done for me. We’ll stay close.”

PROMOTER Frank Warren today held the final press conference ahead of Saturday’s vacant WBO world super-middleweight title clash between Billy Joe Saunders and Shefat Isufi at The Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC.

Saunders, who comes from nearby Hatfield will be bidding to become a two-weight world champion having previously held the WBO middleweight crown.

Also on the bill is fast emerging London heavyweight star and Olympic silver medalist Joe Joyce who faces giant Russian former world title challenger Alexander Ustinov.

In a double title fight Lichfield’s British super-bantamweight champion Brad Foster meets Bristol’s Commonwealth belt holder Ashley Lane.

Here are a selection of quotes from the presser.

FRANK WARREN

Bill should be in a position to have big fights and he will get them. It is a shame that fighters avoid him. We twice signed to fight Golovkin and I know Canelo’s connections don’t want to know. I had a chat with Joe Gallagher a couple weeks ago about Callum Smith and he said ‘in a couple of fights time’, but Callum will be light-heavyweight by then. Chris Eubank Jr has shown no interest in avenging his loss to Bill.

Ustinov is a big, big man and I know him very well. This is a tough fight for Joe and a step up for him. Joe doesn’t want marking time fights and this is no gimme. Joe is out to make a statement and cannot afford to slip up.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS

This has been a long time coming. I had a terrible 2018 and feel my title was robbed from me. I jumped at this fight when it was offered and I will become a two-weight world champion.

I’m not looking past Isufi, but I am looking for the big names. I am 29, I know I have got it inside me and nobody has seen my best.

With the backing of BT Sport we can make the big fights. It is all fine saying I look good hitting the pads, but I have to be on my A game and send a message to the other super-middleweights.

If I do bring it, I should box his head off. Whatever he brings I will fetch ten-fold more.

I have been training with Ben and it has been good, enjoyable and great bouncing around with Tyson Fury. Everything has gone well and I’m enjoying boxing again.

SHEFAT ISUFI

I am doing this for me, but to become Albania’s first world boxing champion is big for them and also Germany as I box under their flag.

Billy Joe will be trying everything to win and so will I.

If Billy Joe did win I will congratulate him, but it will be the other way around.

Billy Joe is quick, fast and a hard puncher. I can also punch and one punch could make the difference.

My father died when I was young and he is always in my mind. When I win I will go to his grave and thank him.

JOE JOYCE

I am fighting fit and good to go. Training has gone well with Adam Booth. I am looking for nine wins, nine knockouts.

Ustinov is very experienced, big, strong, tough and this is a step up. I have to beat him to get to the next level. I know what he has in his arsenal and what I have to do to beat him. He can punch, but I take a shot and give one back.

ALEXANDER USTINOV

This is a very hard fight and I am prepared to win. Joe is a very good boxer and I know him well. We will see who is the strongest boxer this weekend. Joe wants to knock me out, but everyone thinks they win by knockout.

BRAD FOSTER

I have been learning on the job and picked up the British title in my last fight against Josh Wale when I was the away fighter so I am not doing too badly. Ash has got a lot more experience and this is no walkover. It is a tough fight. I am a happy Brad and when I’m happy I perform better.

ASHLEY LANE

I watched him against Josh and it was a good performance. In my last seven fights I have turned my career around after up and downs. My experience and what I have learned from the last two years will give me the strength to win. I spar with Lee Haskins, Lee Selby and Andrew Selby. That is a high level of sparring.

Tickets for saturday night’s show can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality

£150 – Pitch

£100 – Pitch

£75 – Pitch

£50 – Stand

£40 – Stand are now completely sold out

More information on saturday night’s show can be found in this helpful guide.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS has revealed that becoming a two-weight world champion was his childhood dream.

He can achieve that lifelong ambition at The Lamex Stadium, Stevenage FC this Saturday night when he challenges Shefat Isufi (27-3-2) for the vacant WBO super-middleweight crown, live on BT Sport.

Their big showdown was initially for the interim title, but Gilberto Ramirez has relinquished and moved up to light-heavyweight meaning the full championship is now on the line.

Former WBO middleweight champion Saunders, 29, said: “I was always assured by Frank Warren and MTK that the fight would be for the full version of the world title.

“They told me not to get impatient when it was just the interim title. That is what I’ve done and it has happened to work out for the best.

“Being called a two-weight world champion sounds nice and it is good for the history books.

“Boxing is a business, but to be a two-weight world champion is something you dream of growing up and here is my chance to achieve it.

“It is the icing on the cake and I have got to deliver. It’s no good fighting for it. I’ve got to win it.”

Saunders (27-0) has spent nine weeks in Manchester training for the big fight which takes place just 12 miles from his Hatfield home.

He added: “A lot of people are expecting me to win so there is a bit of pressure on, but it is pressure I can deal with.

“I will sit down with my team, have a discussion with my management and assess my options when I’ve got the win against Isufi.

“The main thing is getting that win because the whole conversation is different if I don’t win.”

The vacant WBO super-middleweight title clash between Billy Joe Saunders and Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at Stevenage football ground with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce facing former world title challenger Alexander Ustinov in the chief supporting contest.

British super-bantamweight champion Brad Foster faces Commonwealth title holder, Ashley Lane with both belts on the line

Chingford prospect Boy Jones Jr fights for the vacant WBO Youth title

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality

£150 – Pitch

£100 – Pitch

£75 – Pitch

£50 – Stand

£40 – Stand

(May 13, 2019) — Champions Weekend is coming to ESPN+, as two of the United Kingdom’s most dynamic fighters — former WBO middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders and former unified bantamweight world champion Ryan Burnett — are set to headline separate shows.

Burnett will battle Jelbirt Gomera for the vacant WBC International super bantamweight title Friday at Ulster Hall in his hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Burnett-Gomera live stream will begin at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT exclusively on ESPN+ and will also feature a compelling vacant IBF European junior lightweight title fight between Declan Geraghty and Marco McCullough. Geraghty and McCullough were roommates in the Irish amateur ranks and will renew acquaintances with a world ranking on the line.

Saunders will take center stage Saturday, as he battles Shefat Isufi for the vacant WBO super middleweight title from Lamex Stadium in Stevenage, England. The Saunders-Isufi live stream will start at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on ESPN+ and will also include the highly anticipated heavyweight showdown between 2016 Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist Joe Joyce (8-0, 8 KOs) and former world title challenger Alexander Ustinov (34-3, 25 KOs).

ESPN+ is the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at www.espnplus.com.

Saunders (27-0, 13 KOs) made three successful defenses of the title he won from Andy Lee on Dec. 19, 2015, punctuating his middleweight title run with a dominant decision over David Lemieux in December 2017. A 2008 Olympian, Saunders captured British, Commonwealth and European middleweight titles, defeating the likes of Chris Eubank Jr., John Ryder and Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan. Isufi (27-3-2, 20 KOs) has won 10 consecutive fights, most recently defending his WBO Intercontinental super middleweight belt with a unanimous decision over Mohamed El Achi in his adopted hometown of Munich, Germany.

Burnett (19-1, 9 KOs) recently signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank and will be competing at super bantamweight after a sterling run at bantamweight. He defeated Lee Haskins via unanimous decision in June 2017 to win the IBF world title, and four months later, he bested Zhanat Zhakiyanov to unify the IBF and WBA super world titles. Burnett suffered his first pro defeat last November when he tore his oblique while throwing a punch versus Nonito Donaire and was forced to retire on his stool following the fourth round.

Gomera (14-5, 7 KOs) is a Filipino southpaw who will be fighting for the first time outside of Asia. He is a former Filipino super bantamweight and featherweight champion and is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision win over Lloyd Jardeliza.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS will bid to win the hearts of the Hertfordshire public when he fights for the first time in the county as a professional, seeking to become a two-weight world champion by claiming the vacant WBO world super middleweight title against the Albanian Shefat Isufi.

What Saunders hopes will be his crowning glory will take place in the middle of the pitch at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC, and performing on home soil carries considerable appeal for the unbeaten – 27-0 – former WBO world middleweight champion.

“Most definitely and I think it has been a long time coming,” said the 29-year-old. “You see I have mostly boxed in London and been at home, but I’ve never boxed here and it is interesting because I believe I am going to get a very big following.

“I am very excited to be honest with you, excited and nervous, because it is no good fighting at a venue like this and performing like a pillock! I’ve got to put on a good performance, so I am looking to repeat the David Lemieux performance and get the win to make myself the No.1.”

To do that, the southpaw stylist will have to overcome the 27-3-2 Isufi, who is unbeaten at super middleweight after previously campaigning at cruiser and light heavy. Saunders insists he is not a threat to be taken lightly.

“Listen, a lot of people are looking at him and underestimating him a little bit. I am looking at him and I can, from studying him, see that what he does he does really well. He is not appealing on the eye, but he is better than he actually looks.

“He is obviously No.1 in the world for something and he has got to be taken care of professionally. I have been working hard and I am going to get the job done.

“He is unbeaten at the weight and he has cemented his No.1 spot for a reason. I’ve got to take him seriously but, at the same time, it is hard not to look past him because I lost my world title without getting beat and I want to be world champion as quickly as I can.”

Saunders, indeed, could have opted to remain at middleweight and was nominated as mandatory challenger for his old title after Demetrius Andrade assumed his former status following their aborted collision last year.

The Hatfield resident declined the mandatory invitation in order to challenge for two-weight honours and believes the champions and contenders at super middle are far more willing to engage than at 160lbs.

“For one the financial gain was silly, silly change. Then there was nothing going my way and I would have been going to his back yard again, where I didn’t get fairly treated the first time. I know that and I know deep down what went on, but for good fighters it is not about sitting around watching it is about how you come back.

“I have to come back stronger.

“It is open with some good names and some good fights to be made. People might say I am not a big super middleweight, but they will find I will be big enough for it. My style has never been big and bullying, that is not me, my style is being clever and smart.

“I have got unfinished business at middleweight, but I am putting myself in a position at super middle to give myself different options.

“The thing is with the super middleweights is that everyone is willing to fight everyone. There is nobody sitting back hanging out for the last pound and that is what I like about it. I’ve been at the top of the middleweights and the stars at the top want all of the pie and everything their own way.

“It is all on their terms, but I am just in it to win it and prove I am the best. I will put myself in a position at super middleweight where they have got to fight me.

“It is just about timing.”

Billy Joe Saunders v Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC, with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce in the chief supporting contest against Alexander Ustinov.

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS has dared Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to face him at either middleweight or super-middleweight.

Saunders was boosted over the weekend when it was confirmed that his showdown against German based Albanian Shefat Isufi at Stevenage FC’s Lamex Stadium on Saturday May 18 will be for the vacant WBO world super-middleweight championship, live on BT Sport.

Gilberto Ramirez has relinquished the title and decided to box at light-heavyweight giving Saunders the opportunity to become a two-weight world champion next week.

The former WBO world middleweight champion said: “I would love the Canelo fight, but does he want to fight me? I don’t think so.

“If they do want to fight me, ring me up. I am not asking for millions. Just be fair with me and we can get the show on the road.

“Canelo has cemented his name, made good money and is a superstar in the sport. I wouldn’t say he is avoiding me, but there are plenty of people he can pick apart from Billy Joe Saunders.

“That is a fact. Who wants to fight a slick southpaw who is hard to hit?

“It could be middleweight or super-middleweight. I want the big fights and that is a reason I am moving up to super-middleweight. I cannot get the big fights at middleweight.”

‘Canelo’ outpointed Daniel Jacobs in a world middleweight title clash on Saturday, but stipulated that the American could weigh no more than 170lb on fight morning.

Jacobs was 3.6lb over which reportedly cost him around $750,000 in penalties and although Saunders will not be greedy with demands, he insisted: “I wouldn’t be restricted for any weight clauses at all.

“Daniel Jacobs was clearly struggling to come in the next day only three pounds over the agreed weight. If he wanted to balloon up he would have been eight or nine pounds above what he was at the weigh-in.

“That has cost him a lot of money and I believe that took a bit of performance away from Jacobs.”

If Saunders adds the WBO 168lb title to his collection, another juicy clash would be a ‘Battle of Britain’ against Liverpool’s WBA Super champion, Callum Smith.

Hatfield traveller Saunders added: “Callum is a good fighter and big, but I think people go on about size in this sport too much.

“We saw David Haye beating Nikolai Valuev. Size doesn’t matter in this sport.

“If you’re good enough, you’re good enough, end of and I believe I am good enough to beat Callum Smith. That is a fight I would entertain.”

The vacant WBO super-middleweight title clash between Billy Joe Saunders and Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at Stevenage football ground with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce facing former world title challenger Alexander Ustinov in the chief supporting contest.

British super-bantamweight champion Brad Foster faces Commonwealth title holder , Ashley Lane with both belts on the line.

Chingford prospect Boy Jones Jr fights for the vacant WBO Youth World Lightweight title

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality

£150 – Pitch

£100 – Pitch

£75 – Pitch

£50 – Stand

£40 – Stand

Billy Joe Saunders, Tyson Fury and their trainer, Ben Davison arrived at Stevenage in style when they attended their public workout which took place in front of hundreds of local supporters outside Stevenage FCs’ Lamex Stadium- the location for Billy Joe Saunders vs Shefat Isufi on May 18.

Local Hertfordshire boxer, Saunders, will attempt to become a two-weight world champion when he faces the Munich-based Albanian, Isufi.

The WBO World Super Middleweight title will be on the line on May 18th, and Billy Joe Saunders arrived workout-ready after his helicopter journey.

Tyson, however, opted to arrive in a more fashionable outfit- wearing a white tee and blazer, along with a pair of pink shorts.

Fury is now just six weeks away from his Las Vegas fight night at the MGM Grand, where he faces undefeated German Tom Schwarz.

Billy Joe Saunders and Tyson Fury entertained the hundreds in attendance which saw Ben Davison put both of his fighters through their paces on the pads, whilst they also took turns on the microphone to entertain the crowd.

“I’m feeling good, it’s good having Tyson in camp, both training hard and we’re both pushing each other on for our upcoming fights.” said Billy Joe Saunders on the Lamex Stadium pitch before the local football team’s crucial match against Cheltenham Town.

“It’s a fantastic stadium, a good venue for my fight- it’s my homecoming and I am very excited to be fighting at Stevenage football club.

When asked about his opponent, Shefat Isufi; “I know that my opponent is getting his face punched in on May 18th and that’s all you need to know about him!

“But seriously, he’s a strong lad, but he won’t bring anything I haven’t seen before.”

Tyson Fury joined his stablemate onto the pitch holding a Stevenage FC scarf above his head, which was received with a massive cheer by the local supporters inside the Lamex Stadium.

Tyson added; “He’s been fantastic in the gym and he is really looking forward to the event, only two weeks to go and I’m looking forward to being here on the night myself- and hopefully the weather will be fantastic for everybody!”

Billy Joe Saunders v Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC, with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce in the chief supporting contest against Alexander Ustinov.

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS insists he will not underestimate Shefat Isufi in his big super-middleweight test.

Saunders (27-0, 13 KOs) will be in action just 12 miles from his Hatfield home when he faces the German based Albanian at Stevenage FC’s Lamex Stadium on Saturday May 18, live on BT Sport.

The WBO ‘Interim’ title is currently on the line although promoter Frank Warren hopes the organisation’s vacant world title will be at stake as champion Gilberto Ramirez is believed to be considering relinquishing and boxing at light-heavyweight.

Isufi (27-3-2, 20 KOs) is ranked number one in the latest WBO rankings with Saunders right behind him in the second position.

Saunders, 29, said: “It is one of them where people don’t expect too much, but Isufi can be very dangerous.

“He has come from nothing and got his big chance. You don’t get ranked number one in the world for nothing, especially with who he is promotion wise.

“He has boxed his way into that position. I have to take him seriously and deal with him appropriately.”

Saunders has settled well with trainer Ben Davison after splitting with Dominic Ingle and there is no doubt that his words about taking Isufi seriously are true.

The former WBO champion has been living at a hotel on the outskirts of Manchester for seven weeks and training at Ricky Hatton’s gym.

“I am loving it at Hatton’s gym with Ben and I am just enjoying it again, added Saunders.

“I have to be happy at what I am doing and I will get the best out of myself. If It’s not like that it can become a slog.

“There is no secret that 2018 was a terrible year with terrible memories. Everything got to me a little bit.

“I just needed a complete change. It was the same when I was with Jimmy Tibbs. He was the best coach. I always use the term ‘coach’ and ‘trainer’ and he was the best purist coach I have been around.

“I just needed a change then because my head was going stale. Sometimes when your head goes stale you need that bit of change as a fighter and that is what I needed to get that spark.

“I have to stay ready. Because of my style – slick and fast, you don’t get to keep that forever so I want to show it while I’ve got it and beat whoever they put in front of me.”

Billy Joe Saunders v Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce in the chief supporting contest.

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality

£150 – Pitch

£100 – Pitch

£75 – Pitch

£50 – Stand

£40 – Stand

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS has challenged WBO super-middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez to face him or ditch his world title.

The Mexican hinted after a winning light-heavyweight debut at the weekend that his future belongs in the bigger 175lb division.

Saunders (27-0,13 KOs) faces German based Albanian Shefat Isufi (27-3-2, 20 KOs) at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium on Saturday May 18, live on BT Sport for the WBO interim super-middleweight crown.

Ramirez will be ordered to face the winner, unless he relinquishes the title he has held for three years.

If he does hand back his crown, the Saunders v Isufi fight is likely to be elevated to full world title status.

Former unbeaten WBO middleweight champion Saunders snapped: “I am raring to go for Ramirez, but if he doesn’t want to face me then give up the title and let me fight for the full championship.

“If it’s not going to happen against me after my ‘interim’ title fight then I would rather him say, now.

“He has said he can make 12 stone for Callum Smith so I don’t see the problem with myself. If he can make 12 stone for Callum, he can make 12 stone for me.

“I understand the rules of boxing. If you haven’t got the right style, opponents may not want to know you.

“His promoter Bob Arum has a good working relationship with Frank Warren and MTK, and he has most probably had a conversation with Ramirez.

“They know they can make the fight, but do they want it?

“Personally myself, I don’t think Ramirez will go ducking anybody, but unless he 100 per-cent knows he’s good at the weight I can’t see him taking the chance of fighting me.

“My way of winning fights is slick boxing so that takes a lot of steam out of the opponent especially if you’re weight-drained.”

Saunders cannot wait to appear at a stadium just 12 miles from his Hatfield home.

And although less than half of his wins have come inside the distance, Saunders reckons the open air crowd at the Lamex Stadium are in for a knockout night.

Saunders who is currently training in Manchester added: “I will carry more power up with me. We have been working on a few bits and bobs to improve my power.

“I’ve been sparring well, my timing is there, my speed is still there, but I have got to perform at the weight.”

Tickets for Saunders v Isufi at Stevenage FC are now on sale via www.borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£200 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

THE EARLY SUPPORTING cast for Billy Joe Saunders’ WBO Interim world super middleweight title showdown with Shefat Isufi on Saturday May 18 can now be revealed, with a number of further title contests to be confirmed shortly.

Saunders takes on the WBO No.1 ranked super middleweight Isufi at the Lamex Stadium – home of Stevenage FC – and a number of the top young players in the boxing business will be taking to the pitch bidding to score with knockout performances on the night.

After missing out on featuring on the recent Leicester show through illness, the snappy featherweight Ryan ‘The Piranha’ Garner returns to the ring for his ninth professional fight. The exciting 21-year-old from Southampton has recorded six KOs from his eight fights so far and is looking to get himself in title contention this year.

Former world amateur champion Willy Hutchinson will have his eighth pro fight in what will be his fifth fight inside a year as the Scot gathers experience in the light heavyweight division, while cruiserweight James Branch jr from Hainault enters into his fifth pro fight seeking a first KO finish.

Unbeaten super lightweight Sanjeev Sahota returns to the ring at Stevenage looking to build on his 11 wins so far, with gym-mate Harley Benn having his seventh fight at super welterweight.

Long-standing Team GB servant Harvey Horn from Chigwell continues building towards domestic flyweight title action with his sixth pro fight.

In a further special attraction on the night, the multi-titled standout amateur star Lisa Whiteside is set to turn professional and will make her debut at the Lamex Stadium.

The decorated flyweight – a natural rival for Nicola Adams in the pro ranks – is a seven-time national champion and a 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who also won silver at the 2014 world championships, having won bronze at the 2012 edition. She is also a European championship silver medallist from 2011.

Also featuring on the bill is Streatham super bantamweight Chris Bourke (2-0), Hitchin super middleweight Graham Tirrell (9-0), London light heavyweight Ollie Pattinson (9-0), Aylesbury light heavyweight Adi Burden (8-0) and Milton Keynes middleweight Conor Wright (7-0).

Tickets for Saunders v Isufi at Stevenage FC are now on sale via www.borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:
£200 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS suspects there is the genuine possibility of Josh Warrington overlooking the threat presented by his mandatory challenger Kid Galahad when the pair face each other with the IBF world featherweight title at stake at the FD Arena in Leeds on June 15.

Setting aside the natural bias Saunders might have for his former landlord, also known as Barry Awad, during his lengthy stint training at the Ingle Gym in Sheffield, the former middleweight world champion questions whether the Leeds man will summon up sufficient motivation for what is likely to be a highly-charged Yorkshire derby.

Saunders’ thinking is that, having chalked up such impressive victories over illustrious and favoured opponents in Lee Selby and Carl Frampton, will Warrington show the same desire against a challenger he twice defeated as an amateur and clearly doesn’t hold the highest regard for?

“Warrington is a brilliant fighter and he has had a couple of good performances but sometimes when you have a couple of good ones – I’ve been there and done it – your mind and everything else isn’t quite working the same,” considered Saunders, who returns to the ring to fight for the WBO Interim world super middleweight title against the No.1 ranked Shefat Isufi at Stevenage FC on May 18.

“He’s boxed Selby and Frampton and now he is looking at Barry thinking ‘oh it’s Kid Galahad, I beat him a couple of times’. Is that going to be decisive here, I don’t know.”

Saunders added that the will to win of his former sidekick, the also unbeaten Galahad, will be a key factor in the outcome, which he believes will result in a new champion being crowned.

“I think it is going to be a good fight but, for me, Barry has got a bit too much determination in him to lose. He has got that warrior code in him and I think he is going to do the job – I know he is going to do the job.”

Tickets for Warrington v Galahad are available via Ticketmaster and are priced as below:

£450 – Hospitality
£300 – Floor
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Floor/Tier
£75 – Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

Tickets for Saunders v Isufi at Stevenage FC are now on sale via www.borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£200 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS believes stablemate Lerrone Richards is one of British boxing’s best kept secrets.

Richards (11-0, 3KOs) is back after missing a year through injury when he challenges Tommy Langford (21-3, 6KOs) for the vacant Commonwealth super-middleweight and WBO International titles at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday April 27, live on BT Sport.

It is a massive step up for the New Malden man when he faces the former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion who has competed at a far higher level.

Saunders who meets German Shefat Isufi for the WBO interim super-middleweight championship at Stevenage FC on Saturday May 18, has been tested by Richards in the gym.

Former WBO middleweight champion Saunders recalled: “I brought Lerrone out for sparring for the Andy Lee fight.

“He is a brilliant fighter, but not just that he has a lovely, lovely family and is a lovely man.”

Richards sparring exploits are common knowledge. Saunders has been a fan since their 2015 spar in Marbella and it’s believed Richards gave Chris Eubank Jr more than enough trouble in gym sessions.

“Lerrone is going to go far in the sport and for me there is one winner in that fight at Wembley,” predicted Saunders.

“Tommy is a top fella, tries his heart out and Lerrone has to be on it because it is a big step up from where he has been boxing, but I believe Lerrone can come through it.

“When it comes to talent Lerrone is up there with the top five in Britain, 100 per-cent. He is very, very talented.”

Lerrone’s trainer Alan Smith is adamant that British boxing will see that Richards isn’t just King of the sparring ring, and the fighter is determined to shed that unwanted tag at Wembley.

Richards, 26, said: “This is a great opportunity and I cannot wait to showcase my skills. I box smart, I fight smart, bring science and I will show on the night what I am all about.

“This isn’t an easy fight at all. Tommy is a very good boxer and intelligent. It will be as easy as I want to make it.

“People underestimate my power and if I rock Tommy Langford I will stop him.”

Daniel Dubois v Richard Lartey tops the bill at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27 on a card that also includes the Commonwealth super middleweight title fight between Lerrone Richards and Tommy Langford, as well as the Southern Area super middleweight title clash between Zak Chelli and Jimmy Smith. WBO European super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards and WBO European super featherweight champion Archie Sharp also feature.

Rangy Super Welterweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz will be back out after his impressive win over Rod Douglas Jnr. Hard hitting middleweight and Peacock gym product Denzel Bentley (9-0) and Belfast amateur middleweight star Caoimhin Agyarko will also return to action. There are Queensberry debuts for unbeaten welterweight Chris Kongo (10-0) and Sheffield middleweight Shakiel Thompson (2-0) – with Thompson being tipped by sparring partner Billy Joe Saunders as a star for the future. Ilford Super Middleweight Umar Sadiq (4-1) also returns as he looks to rebuild after his first career loss. Tunde Ajayi trained lightweight Bilal Ali (1-0) will have his second professional fight after making a successful start to his pro career, with Hoddesdon super lightweight Alfie Price set for his fifth.

Tickets will be priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS came face-to-face with Shefat Isufi who he meets for the WBO interim super-middleweight world title at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC on Saturday May 18, live on BT Sport

Saunders (27-0) will be closing in on becoming a two-weight world champion after his unbeaten reign as WBO middleweight champion when he faces Isufi on Frank Warren’s ‘King Of Herts’ bill at the Hertfordshire stadium close to his Hatfield home.

Munich based Albanian Isufi (27-3-2) is on a ten fight winning streak, the current WBO intercontinental champion and the number one contender for the WBO title, held by Mexican Gilberto Ramirez.

**MEDIA ARE WELCOME TO DOWNLOAD AND USE THE FACE OFF FROM TODAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE ON THIS LINK**

Here are a selection of quotes from their press conference at the venue today:

FRANK WARREN

“We were stuck with no London venue available in May, so we decided to think outside the box and go local to Bill, and bring the fight to Stevenage FC. It’s a good facility which will have a 10-12,000 capacity for boxing. ”

“We tried to make the Chris Eubank Jr rematch and they didn’t want to know, they don’t want Eubank to fight Billy Joe Saunders under any circumstances.”

“The champion Gilberto Ramirez called the WBO and said he would vacate and they put the fight out to Billy and Isufu and we agreed terms, but Ramirez then said he hadn’t decided so this is now interim title. I believe Ramirez could vacate and the winner will be declared full champion.”

“Billy has been very avoided. We signed twice to fight Golovkin and Canelo doesn’t want to fight him.”

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS

“This is a good homecoming, but a bit of pressure because I have never boxed so close to home. I’ve got to make sure I’m on my game because Isufi is looking to take my head off. My mind has got to be focused and set new challenges.”

“I love the Ingle gym and loved working with Dominic Ingle and there are no hard feelings – he may even be in the corner with Ben. There is unfinished business in me and people haven’t seen the best.”

“I have never been more determined and I have a lot to prove this year. I had a terrible 2018 inside and outside the ring and I know I have to be on top flight for Isufi.”

“I am open to boxing at super-middleweight and middleweight. I’ve not got miles on the clock, in my 27 fights I have taken ten hard punches and I am just coming into my prime. I believe I am the best middleweight and super-middleweight in the world bar none. I want to get noticed at 168lb. I would definitely fancy a fight against Callum Smith. I mentioned it to Frank before that it would be a good fight to make. He is great fighter and the type I want to test myself against. It would be hard to say, ‘No’ to that fight.”

BEN DAVISON (Saunders Trainer)

“I’ve always worked with Billy Joe on the technical side. We carried on doing some sessions together and a few weeks ago Billy gave me the call and I was more than happy to accept.”

“When Tyson Fury was in a bad position Billy put us together and we’re there to help each other. Billy and Tyson make a good little team. Tyson’s wife always tells me how much Billy was in touch encouraging him to get back in the gym when he was struggling.”

“Billy should leave this sport knowing he one of the best British fighters ever. Isufi is a stern test, but Billy will produce the goods.”

SHEFAT ISUFI

“Billy can have a million people cheering him on, there’s only going to be two of us in that ring on fight night. I will give Billy Joe a very tough night.”

“Billy is very good fighter, very fast and quick and a good puncher but I am very confident I will give him a tough time.”

“I promised my father on his death bed that I would be a world champion and this is my chance.”

Saunders vs Isufi at the Lamex Stadium is subject to licensing and will go on sale via www.borotickets.co.uk on April 1st.

Tickets will be priced as below:

£200 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS will fight Shefat Isufi for the WBO Interim super middleweight world title on Saturday May 18 at The Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage Football Club, live on BT Sport.

For Saunders, 27-0, the big night in the centre of pitch at Stevenage will represent a first professional fight on home turf in Hertfordshire, with the 29-year-old southpaw stylist hailing from nearby Hatfield.

The former Southern Area, Commonwealth, British, WBO International and European champion was an undefeated WBO world champion at middleweight, having won the belt in December 2015 with a points victory over former champion Andy Lee.

Successful defences followed against Artur Akavov, Willie Monroe jr and, most notably, a career-best performance against David Lemieux on away soil in Canada.

He was set to make a further defence last October against mandatory challenger Demetrius Andrade, but eventually opted to relinquish his title after the Massachusetts commission refused to licence him to fight in Boston after an adverse finding in a VADA test, despite the fact he would have been clear to defend under the rules of the British Boxing Board of Control, as well as the UKAD and WADA agencies that govern doping protocols.

Saunders returned to the ring in December in a keep busy exercise against Charles Adamu and was recently installed as mandatory challenger for his previous title, with Andrade now holding the belt.

He will now break new territory by moving up to 168lbs and seeking to reign at a second weight class.

His opponent is the WBO No.1 ranked Munich-based Serbian Isufi, who holds a record of 27-3-2 with 20 KOs. The 29-year-old is the holder of the WBO Intercontinental title and has made two defences of the belt he won by defeating David Zegarra via an 11th round stoppage for the vacant title in July 2017.

He has previously fought for and won the IBF European title at light heavyweight, as well as the WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council cruiserweight title. Isufi is undefeated as a super middleweight.

“I am very, very happy for the fight, more or less, to be taking place in my home town,” said Saunders on the new venue development. “Stevenage and Hatfield is my area and I am excited to be fighting in front of my ‘home’ fans and I am finally home.

“This is my real homecoming from the time I turned pro really.

“I know I have got great support there and I look forward to them all coming out and seeing me put on a brilliant display of boxing. I am just happy I am in this position now and Frank (promoter, Warren) has made it work.

“It is good times and I reckon it will be a complete sell-out. I’ve got a lot of support in the town and it’s a bonus that Stevenage is just along the A1, which is what all my supporters will be travelling on.”

Saunders was initially set to fight for the full WBO world championship against Isufi following the planned move of the champion Gilberto Ramirez to light heavyweight. After notifying the governing body of his intention to leave the division, the Mexican later retracted his statement, although he will fight for the first time at light heavyweight on April 12 in Los Angeles.

Saunders is unfazed by the about-turn and states that he would prefer to personally part the champion from his belt in the ring.

“It is what it is and no problem,” he reasoned. “I shall fight this No.1 ranked opponent and I will be taking his spot and then I will fight Ramirez after. Let’s get that fight going on.

“If he moves up I would become world champion but I don’t want to win it that way because I want to beat the champion.
“It is all good vibes from me, I am willing to fight anybody in the super middleweight or middleweight category and put on a masterful display.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “I am delighted to be returning Bill to his home patch for what is a significant development in his career.
“Moving up to super middleweight opens up all sort of doors for future fights, the massive fights he craved at middleweight where his willingness to fight the other champions was not reciprocated.

“Bill has operated at middleweight for a long time now and reached the top, so we both now believe the time is right to expand his horizons and move up a weight.

“If he is successful against Isufi – and we are not underestimating the threat he poses – Bill will either become world champion or fight Ramirez for the title should he stick around at super middleweight.

“Stevenage is new territory for us and I am looking forward to breaking new ground. I am sure the local fans will come out in numbers to support their local man as Bill enters this next phase of his career.”

Saunders vs Isufi at the Lamex Stadium is subject to licensing and will go on sale via www.borotickets.co.uk on April 1st.

Tickets will be priced as below:

£200 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

Queensberry Promotions are pleased to confirm that Billy Joe Saunders’ next fight will be against Shefat Isufi at Super Middleweight live on BT Sport.

With the widely reported changes in Billy Joe Saunders’ training situation and the current status of the WBO World Super Middleweight Title, this fight will not take place on April 13th at the SSE Arena, Wembley as was previously announced. The fight will be moved to a new date in May at a venue to be confirmed at a later date.

There will be an announcement on an exciting new London show for April featuring some of our best up and coming local talent this week and this will be followed up next with details on where and when Saunders v Isufi takes place.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS describes the prospect of fighting for the WBO super middleweight world title against Shefat Isufi as the beginning of a new chapter in his always colourful career.

The unbeaten former WBO middleweight champion will bid to become a two-weight world champion on April 13 at The SSE Arena, Wembley live on BT Sport, in a fight that he hopes will unlock the door towards the marquee encounters he has long craved.

The 29-year-old was middleweight world champion from December 2015 until late last year, but his wish to unify belts did not come to fruition despite an obvious willingness on his part, with him twice signing a contract to fight Gennady Golovkin, who held the other three belts.

By seizing the opportunity to fight for the vacant title at 168lbs, Saunders hopes his options will expand in what is a more fragmented division that increases the possibility of unifications, plus putting him in a strong position should the current middleweight kings head north in weight.

There is also the winner of this weekend’s domestic duel between James DeGale and Chris Eubank jr to target.

“It is just a new chapter for me,” reasoned the 27-0 southpaw stylist. “At middleweight I tried everything to make the big fights happen after my David Lemieux performance and we chased the Canelo and Golovkin fights.

“So this is about giving myself another option instead of looking in that one room. I can go back down to middleweight or stay at super middleweight – wherever the big fights present themselves, I’m there.

“2018 was a terrible year for me in my boxing career to say the least. When you get knocked down it is how you come back and I have got Tyson Fury to look to with what he’s gone through and it just gives me that little bit more belief.

“You can sit and mope around or you can get on with it. I’m going to get straight back and I am fighting for the super middleweight world title. How will I be at the weight? It might not suit me as much… Time will tell.

“I’m going to come back bigger and better than ever and the super middleweight world title is the way forward. There is a big fight at the weekend and I would love the winner, while you’ve also got Callum Smith. If Canelo and Golovkin don’t want it, maybe I can get a big one in the UK.

“I’ve got plenty of life left in me and I will fight anybody, anybody at all from middle to super middle and Frank will make them. He has delivered what I asked for, I said ‘Frank, I want a world title fight’ and he has come up with this. It is a very good move to put me in position for the big names.”

Ticket details for ‘Redemption’, Saunders v Isufi, at the SSE Arena, Wembley will be announced soon.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS will bid to become a two-weight world champion when he challenges for the vacant WBO super middleweight world title against Shefat Isufi at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday April 13, live on BT Sport.

Saunders, a former Southern Area, Commonwealth, British, WBO International and European champion, was an undefeated WBO world champion at middleweight, having won the belt in December 2015 with a points victory over former champion Andy Lee.

Successful defences followed against Artur Akavov, Willie Monroe jr and, most notably, a career-best performance against David Lemieux on away soil in Canada

The 29-year-old was set to make a further defence last October against mandatory challenger Demetrius Andrade, but eventually opted to relinquish his title after the Massachusetts commission refused to licence him to fight in Boston after an adverse finding in a VADA test.

The Hatfield southpaw would have been clear to defend under the rules of the British Boxing Board of Control, as well as the UKAD and WADA agencies that govern doping protocols.

Still undefeated at 27-0, Saunders returned to the ring in December in a keep busy exercise against Charles Adamu and was recently installed as mandatory challenger for his previous title, with Andrade now holding the belt.

Saunders will now break new territory by moving up to 168lbs and seeking to reign at a second weight class.

His opponent is the WBO No.1 ranked Munich-based Serbian Isufi, who holds a record of 27-3-2 with 20 KOs.

The 29-year-old is the holder of the WBO Intercontinental title and has made two defences of the belt he won by defeating David Zegarra via an 11th round stoppage for the vacant title in July 2017.

He has previously fought for and won the IBF European title at light heavyweight, as well as the WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council cruiserweight title. Isufi is undefeated as a super middleweight.

“It is a brilliant opening for me,” said Saunders on his shot at a second world title and went on to explain his reasoning for passing up his mandatory status at middleweight.

“You’ve got these rumours that Andrade is going for shoulder surgery, as well as the financial side of it with the split – it all doesn’t add up.

“Me winning this super middleweight title will put me in a great position for unifications with the likes of Callum Smith, while we’ve got Chris Eubank boxing James DeGale at the weekend.

“There are a lot of big, big fights at this weight, but my real home of homes is middleweight, so I can move down at any time I want and be back as mandatory for my middleweight title and then become a three-time world champion.

“So I am really looking forward to it and Isufi comes as a really stiff test. He is very, very strong and you have to be really switched on and calculating with this sort of opponent. He is one of those who, with what he does, he does very, very well when the bell goes.

“He has boxed at light heavyweight and cruiserweight so he is going to be a big, big lump and I need to make sure I am on it and stay away from those big bombs.”

Saunders went on to acknowledge that the winning of another world title will afford him the licence to remain active and not be left waiting where big fights are concerned.

“Boxing has its ups and downs, so when you get a world title opportunity it is hard to turn it down,” he considered.

“I have to take my hat off to Frank Warren because he has delivered for me after we were finding it hard to make the Andrade situation happen at this time.

“It will 100 per cent happen in the future, not on their terms, but on mine because I am the bigger name and have beaten the better men. I will prove it by going up a weight, winning another world title and take it from there.

“If the big fights at middleweight come along then fine, but if not I am giving myself another gate to walk through. I have been stuck in one room where I have been looking around and none of these big middleweights want to fight. I have put myself on offer to them and even when I was world champion it wasn’t happening.

“I am opening another door now and giving myself a little bit more variety when it comes to opponents.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Bill to become a two-weight world champion. He has operated at middleweight for a long time and reached the pinnacle, so we both now believe the time is right for him to step up and prove himself at super middleweight.

“If he is successful against Isufi – and nobody is taking the threat he presents lightly – the possibilities are huge, with unifications and great fights all out there for him.

“I am sure the fans will get behind Bill in their numbers and support him in bidding to become a world champion once again.”

An announcement will be made soon on when tickets can be purchased for this event.

Former WBO Middleweight Middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders has his suspension for a failed drug test, and now a purse bid will take place for a bout woth new champion Demetrius Andrade, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

In a letter sent to Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, Andrade’s promoter, and Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, Saunders’ promoter, the WBO gave the camps 30 days to negotiate a deal for the bout. If they cannot come to an agreement by then, a purse bid will be held. The minimum bid was set at $200,000, though the promotional rights to the fight would likely go for millions if a purse bid takes place.

Billy Joe Saunders makes his long-awaited return to the ring next weekend (Dec 22) at the Manchester Arena after being added to the blockbuster bill topped by Josh Warrington defending his IBF world featherweight title against two-weight world champion Carl Frampton.

The year of 2018 has represented a period of enforced inactivity and injury frustration for the former WBO world middleweight champion, who relinquished the belt following the failure of the Massachusetts Commission to issue him a licence for his mandatory defence against Demetrius Andrade in Boston back in October.

Two scheduled defences against Martin Murray were both aborted due to injuries suffered by the champion, resulting in Saunders not building on the momentum of a hugely positive and busy end to 2017.

His last fight and perhaps his career-best performance to date came nearly a year ago when he travelled to Canada to put his title on the line against the big-hitting David Lemieux.

The Canadian was hardly given a look-in against Saunders at his slickest and a shutout scoreline was recorded on the card of one judge. Three months previously at the Copper Box, the Hatfield man – who trains in Sheffield under Dominic Ingle – widely outpointed Willie Monroe jr, who is set to fight Jermall Charlo for the WBC Interim world middleweight title on the same night as Saunders’ own return.

There is a strong middleweight theme running through the Manchester card, with a barnstorming clash scheduled between Mark Heffron and Liam Williams for the vacant British title, while Martin Murray, who is bidding to put himself firmly in the world title picture, takes on a tough assignment against Hassan N’Dam.

Now Saunders is added to the mix, where he will take on the experienced Hungarian Zoltan Sera in a bid to extend his perfect professional record of 26-0. Sera, 33, who has fought at light heavyweight in his last two fights, has recorded 22KOs from his 32 wins.

Despite his hopes of making a lucrative defence in Boston being dashed, Saunders has remained in training and will be looking to reclaim his world title property in 2019 after sharpening his highly-skilled tools against Sera in Manchester.

IBF world featherweight champion Josh Warrington takes on former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton at the Manchester Arena on December 22nd live on BT Sport Box Office. Mark Heffron and Liam Williams contest the vacant British middleweight title and Belfast’s blue chip featherweight prospect Michael Conlan (9-0) takes on former commonwealth champion Jason Cunningham (24-5). In a step up, Nathan Gorman puts his undefeated record and WBC International Silver Heavyweight Title on the line against former World Title challenger Alex Leapai, while Martin Murray defends his WBC Silver middleweight title against Hassan N’Dam. Tyson Fury’s younger brother Tommy Fury also makes his professional debut.

Elsewhere on the bill. World flyweight title challenger Paddy Barnes (5-1) and unbeaten Light Heavyweight contender Steven Ward (9-0) return to action. Manchester’s 12-0 Light Heavyweight Lyndon Arthur and 7-0 Darlington middleweight Troy Williamson also return.

Tickets are priced at £50 Upper Tier, £80 Tier, £100 Tier, £150 Tier, £200 Floor/Tier, £300 Floor, £400 Floor, £600 Inner Ring VIP Hospitality and are available.

Tickets available via Manchester Arena.