BILLY JOE SAUNDERS is set to fight Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on May 2 after Golden Boy Promotions increased their offer to the Brit to £6million.
Talks between the two super-middleweight stars have been taking place over the last few months with both last in action in November.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders are on course to meet in the ring on May 2
But now The Athletic report that a deal is near to completion after Canelo’s promoters bumped up the money for the unbeaten Brit.
However, it is understood there is no final agreement on money just yet – although Saunders looks set to pocket far less than Canelo’s two previous opponents.
Both Danny Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev bagged around £9m for their defeats to Alvarez in 2019.
Eddie Hearn, who represents Saunders, hit back on Twitter, though, stating: “Normally your sources are spot on – not this time but I will see you at the weigh in!”
BJS has a perfect record of 29 wins from 29 professional fights while Alvarez is 53-1-2 from his 56 bouts.
And the clash on May 2 would see both fighters put their world titles on the line.
Hertfordshire southpaw Saunders, 30, is a two-weight world champ and WBO super-middleweight title-holder since May last year.
The undefeated Brit beat Shetaf Isufi and then defended his belt against Marcelo Esteban Coceres on the undercard for KSI vs Logan Paul.
Canelo, meanwhile, will be defending the WBA super-middleweight belt he won against Brit Rocky Fielding in 2018 before dropping down to middleweight and light-middleweight to face Jacobs and Kovalev respectively.
There was talk that four-weight champ Alvarez could have taken on Callum Smith but now he is excited by the prospect of facing Saunders, even if the Brit is not a huge attraction in the US – he was even booed after beating Coceres in California.
The Mexican said to Ring Magazine: “A fight between me and Billy Joe Saunders is a great fight, he’s a great fighter. He’s a difficult southpaw and a champion, it’s a good fight.
“It’s literally ‘No Boxing, No Life’. I just won a fourth world title and I’m back here in the gym. It’s no boxing, no life for me.”
Canelo Alvarez circles his £45m yacht on jet ski with girlfriend Fernanda Gomez
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
