Boxing

EDDIE HEARN insists only Anthony Joshua can be compared to Canelo Alvarez for his brilliant boxing mindset – but AJ is the bigger star.Mexico’s 30-year-old WBC, WBA super-middleweight champ faces Billy Joe Saunders on Saturday in front of 70,000 fans in Texas, with his ranking as the pound-for-pound No1 fighter on the planet also on the line.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has lauded the incredible mindset of both Canelo Alvarez and Anthony JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Canelo is preparing for his super-middleweight unification bout against Billy Joe Saunders on SaturdayCredit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
In the build-up to the fight, Saunders has complained about the ring size, the fan presence and the judging panel, but Canelo has kept an ice-cool head and let him increase the size of the ring.
Hearn, who promotes all three fighters, said: “The only one that I can compare him to in a mindset capacity, in terms of focus purely for the sport, is AJ.
“Just so chilled and normal. Canelo is massive in America, massive but he refuses to be a superstar, it’s not like he swans around. He’s just chilled, he loves his golf.
“His gym is so sort of basic really, he’s just got a great energy. He reminds me so much of AJ in his dedication, he absolutely loves boxing.”
Canelo is a four-weight champion but AJ has ruled the blue-riband heavyweight ranks as an Olympian and pro.
But Britain’s WBA, IBF and WBO boss suffered his only pro loss on American soil, to Andy Ruiz Jr in New York in 2019, so his US stock is not as high.
When asked who has the bigger global appeal, the Matchroom boss said: “I think probably AJ, because he is a world heavyweight champion.
“Canelo is huge in the US, huge, by far the biggest star that I’ve ever seen in the US.
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Joshua is set to fight Tyson Fury in an undisputed heavyweight contest in the summerCredit: Rex

🔥 CANELO V SAUNDERS NEWS 🔥
🥊 BETTING SPECIAL Get Canelo to win in HUGE 20/1 odds boost
🥊 WHO YA GOT? Pundits make their predictions
🥊 CLEAN BILL BJS’s amazing body transformation
🥊 HOME WORK Canelo’s humble beginning
🥊 (AD) GET Canelo v Billy Jo Saunders live for £1.99 on DAZN
🥊 HOW TO WATCH TV, live stream and start time info ahead of the big fight
How Canelo and Saunders compare ahead of their bout

“Canelo is a much bigger star than AJ in the US and obviously Mexico but I do feel like heavyweight boxing does generally dictate a bigger profile.”
Saunders has felt he has been under-promoted for this Texas clash and claimed Hearn has favoured the Mexican fighter.
But the Hatfield’s man has been at his unpromotable worst this week, repeatedly telling a Spanish-speaking ESPN reporter during a live broadcast that his “breath stinks of s***” and claiming he missed the first media meeting to stay in his hotel room and “play with his balls”.
The tasteless antics have shown exactly why British broadcasters and promoters struggle to work with the excellent 30-0 fighter. 
But Hearn has remained as unbiased as possible. When asked about representing both men, he said: “I hate it, to be honest with you. 
“Canelo has asked me to look at future plans for him and, once you do that, I guess the other person almost feels like it’s a bit disrespectful. 
“But, ultimately, Canelo Alvarez is a huge name.”
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BOXING legend Floyd Mayweather has yet again declared himself the best fighter ever – as he revealed he’s earned over $1BILLION from his fights.The 44-year-old even stated he earned nearly £500m from his bouts against Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor.
Floyd Mayweather is preparing to face YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition bout on June 6Credit: Getty
And the American has predicted he could rake in around £72m when he faces Logan Paul in an exhibition bout on June 6.
Mayweather has defended his dust-up against the YouTuber when appearing on the Millon Dollaz Worth of Game podcast.
He said: “I would [rather] have the currency than the legacy, my legacy is already engraved in stone.
“They say, ‘Mayweather’s doing exhibitions, it’s bad for boxing.’
“At the end of the day, my mother’s a millionaire, my dad’s a millionaire, my children are millionaires.
“My little [five-month-old] grandson is a multi-millionaire and he don’t even know it.”
Commenting on whether he is a billionaire, the 1996 Olympic bronze medallist remarked: “I’ve made a billion.
“I’ve reached that four years ago. [Now I’m] over $1.2billion [£864m]. I knew from the beginning I was the best in boxing, from day one.
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🥊 MAYWEATHER VS LOGAN PAUL: Where will the fight take place, what TV channel and live stream will it be on?
“I just knew I was better than every other fighter. There will never be a fighter better than me, never.
“Tell me another fighter that beat 16 world champions straight? Tell me another fighter that, in just two fights, made $650m [£468m]?
“For Pacquiao I made $300m [£216m], for McGregor I made $350m [£252m].”
Before adding: “My health is my wealth… No amount of money is worth my health, no amount of money.
“But I’m still a smart business man. Now [if] we talk about a Logan Paul, a YouTuber, for $100m [£72m]? Give me that.”
Mayweather started his training camp for his bout to face Paul last week, while also showing off his diamond-encrusted jewellery.
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CANELO ALVAREZ has revealed he’d love to have a prime Mike Tyson’s punching power – despite being one of the most ferocious knockout artists in the game.The pride of Mexico has one of the best knockout ratios in the sport, with 37 of his 55 professional victories coming by way of KO or TKO.
Canelo Alvarez poses for a picture with Mike Tyson after appearing on Iron Mike’s podcastCredit: INSTAGRAM/CANELO
Mike Tyson was one of the most ferocious punchers in boxing historyCredit: Getty
Although he possesses concussive power in both hands, Canelo admits he’d love to pack a punch like The Baddest Man on the Planet.
When asked if he could have the power of any fighter from any time, the four-weight world champion told DAZN: “Mike Tyson because he had a brutal punch.
“Even if he grazed you, he’d knock you out.”
Canelo, 30, is a historian of the game and a big fan of the super-middleweight greats Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and the late Marvin Hagler.
When asked to name his dream opponents, the Mexican mauler replied: “Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler.
“I would have loved to be in there with any of those fighters.”
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Betting special – Get Canelo to win at huge 20/1
Canelo is a big fan of the late Marvin Hagler (L) and fellow legend Roberto DuranCredit: AP
Canelo is currently gearing up for his eagerly-anticipated super-middleweight title unification bout with IBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders, whom he’ll throw down with early on Sunday morning at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.
Fight week has been dominated by a bitter dispute over the size of the ring, which Team Saunders believes gives the unified 168lb champ a significant advantage.
But Canelo insists the Brit is making ‘excuses’ for an impending defeat, saying: “He thinks he’ll give me a boxing lesson?
“We’ll see. I am not the same guy I was five or six years ago. I have experience, I am a more mature fighter.
“So he can say whatever he wants, on Saturday night, he is in a different level of fight.
“I hope that I don’t need the judges on the night.
“We have always been open about what are short and long term plans have been.
“I want to unify the 168lb division, and Caleb Plant would be next in line to secure that short term goal if successful against Billy Joe Saunders

🔥 CANELO V SAUNDERS NEWS 🔥
🥊 BETTING SPECIAL Get Canelo to win in HUGE 20/1 odds boost
🥊 WHO YA GOT? Pundits make their predictions
🥊 CLEAN BILL BJS’s amazing body transformation
🥊 HOME WORK Canelo’s humble beginning
🥊 (AD) GET Canelo v Billy Jo Saunders live for £1.99 on DAZN
🥊 HOW TO WATCH TV, live stream and start time info ahead of the big fight
How Canelo and Saunders compare ahead of their bout

Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders had a heated face off on WednesdayCredit: MATCHROOM BOXING

“The goal is to be undisputed at 168lbs and then we’ll see.
“I think I could stay at Super-Middleweight until the end of my career.
“I think I have about seven years left until I retire, but I’m listening to my body and when it tells me to quit, I’ll quit
“Nothing frustrates me, I am just focused on winning on Saturday. He has to fight me on Saturday, that has to happen, it’s not a problem.
“I don’t care about anything; I am just going to go in there and do my job.
“Saunders has come up with other excuses, he’s had plenty of excuses, but I am just going to go in there and do what I have to do.”
Canelo Alvarez tells Billy Joe Saunders he is in big trouble More

CANELO ALVAREZ and Billy Joe Saunders will put super-middleweight bragging rights on the line in Texas. The champions headline on Saturday night with WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine belts up for grabs.
Canelo Alvarez, left, and Billy Joe Saunders simulated on Fight Night ChampionCredit: YouTube
Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders fight for real in TexasCredit: YouTube
Canelo is boxing’s current pound-for-pound No1, with his only defeat coming in 2013 against Floyd Mayweather.
But due to Saunders’ slick southpaw style, he is being tipped as the greatest threat to Alvarez’s throne.
Fans are so divided and intrigued by the match-up they could not wait any further to see the pair in the ring.
Boxing Fight Simulations on YouTube paired off Canelo, 30, and Saunders, 31, on EA Sports’ 2011 Fight Night Champion.
But the game is so old, neither are actually playable characters and as a result had to be custom made.
They are not like-for-like recreations, due to the outdated graphics, but they were wearing the same colour shorts they both wore in their last fights in real life.
And the Dallas Cowboy’s AT&T Stadium, expected to host 65,000 fans, was at least the venue for the simmed fight.
In the computerised bout, disaster struck for Saunders in round four as he was dropped by a big right hand.

🔥 CANELO V SAUNDERS NEWS 🔥
🥊 BETTING SPECIAL Get Canelo to win in HUGE 20/1 odds boost
🥊 WHO YA GOT? Pundits make their predictions
🥊 CLEAN BILL BJS’s amazing body transformation
🥊 HOME WORK Canelo’s humble beginning
🥊 (Ad) STREAMING OFFER Watch Canelo v Billy Joe Saunders exclusively live on DAZN for £1.99
🥊 HOW TO WATCH TV, live stream and start time info ahead of the big fight
How Canelo and Saunders compare ahead of their bout

In the same round, Canelo scored another knockdown, this time after a barrage of body shots.
Saunders found himself again on the deck in round seven after a right hand but retaliated by flooring Canelo with a body shot of his own.
Eventually Alvarez was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
If the video game version is anything to go by, fans will be in for a treat when the two do it for real.
Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders – Live stream, date, UK start time and TV channel for big world title fight in Texas More

CANELO ALVAREZ is set for another mega payday for his unification fight with Billy Joe Saunders. The Mexican superstar puts his WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine belts on the line against WBO champion Saunders on Saturday.
Canelo Alvarez, Eddie Hearn and Billy Joe SaundersCredit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
According to Sportekz, Canelo will earn a guaranteed £10.7million ($15m) but the sum could rise following the streaming success on DAZN.
Saunders meanwhile, will take home at least £1.7m ($2.5m) for his trip to Texas.
The pair can expect to really see the money flow once bonuses are totted up, with Canelo set to make as much as £25m with BJS £3.5m.
Alvarez is boxing’s top attraction and the highest-paid fighter in the world.
Before moving to sports streaming service DAZN, the four-division king was a pay-per-view headliner.
His nine box office fights, including against Floyd Mayweather, Amir Khan and Gennady Golovkin, saw him pocket around £80m.
Then, in 2018 he signed an 11-fight deal with DAZN, worth a record-breaking £277m.
He had three fights while under contract, beating Rocky Fielding, Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev.

🔥 CANELO V SAUNDERS NEWS 🔥
🥊 BETTING SPECIAL Get Canelo to win in HUGE 20/1 odds boost
🥊 WHO YA GOT? Pundits make their predictions
🥊 CLEAN BILL BJS’s amazing body transformation
🥊 HOME WORK Canelo’s humble beginning
🥊 (AD) GET Canelo v Billy Jo Saunders live for £1.99 on DAZN
🥊 HOW TO WATCH TV, live stream and start time info ahead of the big fight
How Canelo and Saunders compare ahead of their bout

The hat-trick saw him take home close to £60m, according to information released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Ring Magazine.
That was before he decided to terminate the deal, but continued to fight on DAZN as a free agent, where he beat Callum Smith and Avni Yildirim.
Further reports say it banked him £25m taking his total to £85m earned while with DAZN.
Billy Joe Saunders mocks Canelo Alvarez’s failed drugs test as he yells ‘you love the beef’ at rivals More

VASYL LOMACHENKO will make his return against Masayoshi Nakatani after eight months out following his shock defeat to Teofimo Lopez.The Ukrainian was dethroned of his lightweight and pound-for-pound crown last October after the upset loss.
Vasiliy Lomachenko is set to make his return against Masayoshi NakataniCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Masayoshi Nakatani will fight Vasiliy Lomachenko on June 26Credit: Getty
Lomachenko was irate about the scorecards – despite many feeling Lopez was deserving of the win – and lobbied for a rematch.
But having undergone shoulder surgery for an injury he claimed hampered his performance, the slick southpaw is on the comeback trail.
Lopez, 23, is off the market as he faces George Kambosos, 27, in a mandatory defence.
But Lomachenko, 33, will instead fight Japan’s Nakatani, 32, on June 26 in Las Vegas, it was announced by his promoters Top Rank.

Nakatani has a record of 19-1 with his only loss coincidently against Lopez.
Lopez admitted he learned a lot from his breakthrough win over Lomachenko, but there is no love lost between them.
He told TMZ: “Just like I learned from everybody that I faced.
“But mainly, yeah, with Lomachenko, I did. There’s a lot of things that I grabbed off of him.

“We already know what we were going to do in camp and going into the fight.
“But then there was nice things that I grabbed and now I take it into my own craft now.
“Thanks, Loma. Even though f*** you, but thank you.”
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