BILLY JOE SAUNDERS was left with FOUR face fractures in defeat to Canelo Alvarez – but it was still not the hardest he has been hit.
The two-division champion has not returned since Canelo handed him a brutal first career loss in May 2021.
An uppercut in round eight saw Saunders unable to continue after his eye was left black and blue.
But amazingly, the 2008 Olympian claimed David Lemiuex was a harder puncher than the Mexican superstar.
He said on the “Keep A LukeOut” podcast: “I’ll be honest, when I was in there with him, I was expecting so much more.
“I remember being in there, it might have been round five and we were [fighting on the] inside and I remember grabbing him and walking him back.
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“I’m not a one-punch knockout man but when it comes to tangling someone up and pushing a pulling, I am very, very good at that, that is one of my best weapons.
“I remember tying him up and pushing him back and I remember thinking ‘you know what, I am just going to put my hand up here’, a bit of kidology like ‘go on, go on [hit me]’.
“I was waiting to get hit like I did against David Lemiuex, when I boxed him, I tested some power on my arm and I thought, ‘F*** me’.
“I’ve never felt anyone punch as hard as he punches.”
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Canelo, 33, would go onto unify the 168lb division as undisputed champion.
He remains king of the super-middleweights having beaten Jermell Charlo, 33, in September.
Meanwhile Saunders, 34, revealed he is preparing for a comeback having returned to training.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
