Tyson Fury predicts Saunders win over Canelo

By Jeff Sorby - 05/06/2021 - Comments

Tyson Fury is picking his good friend Billy Joe Saunders to defeat Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night in their 168lb unification fight on DAZN.

To show support, Fury has flown over to attend the Canelo-Saunders fight live at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Canelo (55-1-2, 37 KOs) is a big favorite to win with the odds-makers, however, largely because of his speed, power, experience, and home advantage.

Although Canelo isn’t a U.S citizen, he’s from nearby Mexico and has been adopted by many Americans as one of their own.

WBC heavyweight champion Fury believes Saunders will give Canelo a “boxing lesson” on Saturday, but it’s going to be difficult for him to do that.

Saunders has already made himself look bad in the eyes of U.S fans by insisting on the handicap of a large 22-foot ring for him to try and stay away from Canelo.

Billy Joe made such a big deal about wanting the extra-large ring that he was threatening to pull out of the fight if he didn’t get his way.

Earlier today, Canelo indulged Saunders, agreeing to let him have his wish for a larger 22-foot ring to keep him from pulling out of the fight.

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn commented that he hopes Saunders won’t hold the promotion “for ransom” over some other issue that he dreams up in the final three days before the fight.

Fury predicts Saunders will give Canelo a boxing lesson

“That best man will be Billy Joe Saunders,” said Fury to Fighthype. “He’s going to rise up to the occasions, and he’s going to give Canelo a boxing lesson.

“I’ve always said it that Billy Joe is the man to beat him. Billy Joe has been undefeated for over a decade now, and he’s unbeaten in over 30 fights.

“No one has ever come close to beating [Saunders], and I don’t think Canelo will either,” said Fury.

There have been two fights during Saunders’ career where he came close to losing against Artur Akavov, Andy Lee, and Chris Eubank Jr. Lee and Eubank Jr fought Saunders to a standstill in fights looked to be even at the end.

Fury may not be aware of those two fights, but Saunders clearly deserved a loss against Akavov in their fight in 2016 in Scotland. Most boxing fans would agree that Akavov fought well enough to win.

Tyson says Billy Joe isn’t scared to fight

“Canelo is a great fighter, but he’s not the animal beast that people make him out to be,” said Fury.

“He’s just a man with a pair of boxing gloves. He can be beaten. He has been beaten before,” said Fury about fighters being afraid of Canelo.

“Just like the fear factor of Mike Tyson and the ‘Gyspy King.’ People are scared before they get in there to lose. Billy Joe isn’t scared of a fight. Billy Joe came out of the womb fighting like myself.

“We fought all our life; we fought to survive, we fought to live. On the world’s biggest stage, he’s not going to swallow.

“He’s going to rise to the occasion and win,” said Fury about his pick of Saunders to beat Canelo.

Saunders may not be afraid to fight, but he certainly showed a a great deal of apprehension about fighting Canelo in a normal 20-foot ring.

The way that Saunders carried on about his need for a 22-foot ring suggests that he has a certain amount of fear about fighting Canelo in a 20-foot ring.

If Saunders was willing to walk away from a $7 million payday because of him needing to fight in Canelo a normal 20-foot ring, it’s hard not to view that as fear. If it’s not fear, what is it?

Billy Joe will have to stand and fight at some point

“100 percent,” said Fury when asked if Saunders will have to stand and fight Canelo at some point because he can’t use the 22-foot ring to run all night as Erislandy Lara did against Canelo.

“This is boxing. You can’t go swimming and not get wet. You’re going to have to fight sooner or later, and that’s it. We’re fighting men.

That’s what we do for a living; that’s what we get paid for. We’re not going in there, not expecting to get punched in the face. It is what it is; it’s boxing,” said Fury in giving his philosophy about the sport.

Well, if Saunders stands and fights Canelo at some point in the fight, he’s going to be booed out of the AT&T Stadium on Saturday, and he’ll lose the fight.

It’s difficult to win fights against Canelo or any fighter if you’re going to be moving nonstop the way Saunders is expected to do on Saturday.