Billy Joe Saunders will return this December if the fans want it

BJS is certainly at a cross roads, I'm gutted he's decided to hit the self destruct button since the Lemineux fight.

Provided he is not locked in a long term contract he should really be looking to link in with Hearn and DAZN. All the big middleweight fights are there to made.

So yes, I do want to see him fight again. Special talent.

 

Eubank Jr. Crossroads fight.

 

I'm not really sure it sounds fishy as much as it's just quite unusual. But if you have different drug rules for different places then something like this seems likely to follow. A bit like someone being punished for an offence in one country which is legal in another.

 

I think the problem at the moment is that Saunders had one asset which is gone from a publicity point of view.

He's not popular, and considering Hearn openly puts money above just about everything else, there are questions about how to sell him. He's also tricky enough for the bigger names to want to avoid him.

 

The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour; even if he makes a comeback then his skittish, unreliable actions will remain. And that's not even taking into account his signing with a promoter on the wane and his "purist" fighting style.

Stick a fork in this guy, he's done. He had his chance, his ego was/is so massive he thought (and probably still does) that he could get away with anything - inactivity, feigning injuries to pull out of fights he considered beneath him, bullying, failed drugs tests.

He'll inevitably fight again but anyone who thinks he's going to be consistently in bouts against top-tier opposition is dreaming.

 

Fight Yarde

 

Not denying there's certainly an unlikeability factor around BJS- especially within the last 12 months. But you've inadvetently put forward the best argument to why Hearn should sign BJS by referring to money.

He's certainly got charisma, divides opinion and has recenly had nationwide coverge. Be loved or Ben hated but don't be boring!

Regardless of that nonsense he's first and foremost a fantastic boxer, his performance against Lemieux was elite, Hearn knows that and he will fit in nicely with fighters currently operating under DAZN.

We've had PPV's featuring Frankie Gavin in the last 3 years, Do you not think BJS vs Canelo /GGG/Eubank JR wouldn't sell with the right promotion team?

 

The problem with that is that Saunders on his own has sold very poorly. He had that world title fight in a leisure centre for example. I know there were mitigating circumstances around that but it's not really something you'd expect of a remotely popular world champion.

Whilst the Lemieux performance was fantastic there is now a bit of a cloud over that with the later drug test fail, and he didn't look that elite when he won very close fights against Lee and Eubank.

I think with the right promoters those fights would sell. But I'm not sure where Saunders fits in. Good enough to cause GGG/Canelo problems. Possibly not good enough to beat them. Not a world champion at present so not offering any titles. And not bringing much in the way of fans or money.

He feels a bit like a fighter in the who needs him club.

 

Sod him

 

james de gale v billy jo Saunders??

 

The bbbc came out and said he was innocent in the UK. Why wouldn't he be able to fight in the UK? If vada and the wbo have nothing to do with the fight, what's to stop him?

Hearn made interesting comments recently about BJS not being on DAZN "yet". I'd love to see him link up with matchroom. I like Warren but it can't be denied that Hearn is the man to be with. Now more than ever with the American shows. He has enough dates now to keep every fighter on his roster very active. As fans, that's what we want to see. Activity also creates pressure for the big fights to be made.

 

I wonder if Frank really cares too much about Saunders. There must be something quite tiring about trying to promote a guy who's both something of a serial loose-cannon and also a pretty reprehensible human being.

 

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was very suspicious of Hearn in this video. Watch this space.

 

Can't really be bothered to get into the nitty gritty of another promoter debate but I do think it will be the choice that defines his career going forward.

The saddest thing about the whole debacle is that he's wasting his prime years. Yes-he's been a complete bell end during the last 12 months but I want to see the best boxers in Britain fight the best in their respective divisions. We have that with BJS.

 

It’s a little bit lazy to call him a drugs cheat imo. He’s regularly tested by WADA and UKAD, they’re the legitimate drug testing associations and that’s who the BBBofC follow. He hasn’t broken any of their rules, he is free to box.

VADA carry no real weight, they don’t have any say in who gets banned or whatever. They just leak the information and toddle off. The confusing bit is that their rules differ from the other ‘legitimate’ drug testing associations. That doesn’t matter to the clueless journalists who jump all over the story though.

Regarding his tweet, he should stop faffing about and just sort a fight cos 1 fight a year is quite pathetic and an utter waste of talent.