Relatively enjoyable fight in the end.
Disappointing it had to finish the way it did, as I thought BJS had held his own up to that point. I’m not going to get on his case about quitting, because quite frankly we only get one pair of eyes in this life, and personally, I wouldn’t risk giving up my sight just to prove how tough I was.
I gave BJS a minimum of three rounds, but could make a case for a fourth. I thought Canelo was quite sloppy at times, and he was rushing those big power punches (he really wanted to get Saunders out of there as soon as he possibly could). That played well for BJS, as his quick reflexes gave the impression he was making Canelo miss wildly. That’s not only eye-catching to the judges, but it all goes towards scoring the round. However, when Canelo did connect cleanly, you could see the difference between his and Saunders’ shots.
But by the same token, BJS needed to be slicker than he was too. The punch that done the damage stemmed from a lazy hook. He (BJS) didn’t even load up on it, it was just an off balance, hopeful swing, which Canelo telegraphed and punished him for. You just cannot afford to be that casual when you’re facing one of the best fighters on the planet.
BJS did have some great rounds though, where he made Canelo look beatable. I felt that rounds four and five were great rounds for him. Speed and movement was always going to be the key, and BJS showed that in patches, but unfortunately not often enough. He was obviously wary about Canelo’s power, which made him hesitant at times, but I just wished he had been busier.
From the judges scorecards, you could see that BJS was never going to get a points decision. Not a single judge gave him the 4th round, despite it being a clear round for him. He narrowly pipped the first round, easily took the fourth and fifth, and I could argue a case for a 10-10 round in the seventh too. Sadly, In a world of bent sports, this one is by far the worst. It’s not just America either, as we’re notoriously bad for it. So too the Germans, and just the other night we saw Liam Smith being bent over and receiving the old hammer and sickle job, over in Russia.
All-in-all, I thought Saunders did well, but ultimately his best just wasn’t as good as Canelo’s best. Not too sure where he goes from here either. If the injury isn’t a career-ender, there’s not much left for him, is there? He won’t move up and it’s pointless staying at 168. I find it hard to believe that Canelo would want to give him a rematch. Even if he did, I’m not convinced there’d be a different outcome anyway.
The obvious fight to make would be the Eubank rematch. The bad blood between them hasn’t dissipated, and it’s an easy stadium sell. But if I were Billy, I’d **** Eubank right off. I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of giving him the platform. In boxing, ego’s are brilliant. Wind-ups are brilliant. Bad blood is brilliant. But Eubank is a **** of the highest order, and if his surname was Smith, or Rodgers or basically anything other than ‘Eubank’, his career would have ebbed away by now and he’d be referred to as that guy who got beaten up by a couple of half decent World Champions.
