Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on DAZN.com.
***
Billy Joe Saunders was perceived as the front-runner to be Canelo Alvarez’s next opponent and was reportedly penciled in for a May 2 showdown before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
But with everything in disarray, it seems unlikely that boxing will have fans in attendance for a September fight — certainly not anything close to a full house — and Saunders has subsequently withdrawn his name from the shortlist of opponents. Among the reasons are his refusal to accept a pay cut and concern about how the pandemic has affected his preparation.
Saunders mentioned the possibility of facing middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade in October. The two were scheduled to meet in 2018 but Saunders tested positive for a banned substance, after which he pulled out of the fight.
“If they think they’re going to cut my money and cut me short, that’s not going to happen,” Saunders told The Athletic. “Considering he’s getting $35 million, they come to me for a pay cut?”
Saunders also took umbrage with the pay cut being coupled with a short camp.
“I’m not ready in September,” Saunders said. “They want to try mind games. That don’t work with me. I play the biggest mind games in British boxing.”
It’s a complicated matter. Promoters have struggled with finding a way to pay the purses demanded by high-priced fighters without money generated by live gates.
Oscar De La Hoya mentioned that challenge during a RingTV.com interview when discussing options for Alvarez’s next fight.
“We know that Bob Arum has been doing smaller shows, I believe with no audience, or maybe some audience, but it’s really not gonna be enough people to generate the monies that are being paid out,” De La Hoya said.
“That’s a big problem. That’s one of our big concerns,” he continued. “How do we pay Canelo, and how do we pay his opponent? And plus, you have to expense out the four fights that are on the undercard and all the testing that we have to do.
“It’s a major concern, but we’ll figure it out.”
Saunders mentioned the possibility of facing middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade in October. The two were originally linked in 2018 before Saunders tested positive for a banned substance and pulled out of the fight.