Billy Joe Saunders- wasting his prime?

BJS defended on Saturday night, and it generates one line on another post on this forum , and that's it. I had really high hopes for BJS following the Olympics, but since the Eubank fight his lack of activity is really disappointing. Having scrapped past Andy lee, in another fight that he could have lost by simply switching off, he then disappears for a year before a returning with an unconvincing win over a no name opponent. He's got plenty of talent, but he should be delivering a lot more than this- what's gone wrong?

I think its called "hanging out for a big payday".

He's trying to hang onto that belt until he can cash out against Golovkin (not his first choice) or Canelo (preferable but Canelo may not want it after dropping the WBC).

The decision to drop Jimmy Tibbs seems bizarre. I heard BJS came down from 210 pounds!

Not sure GGG is that bigger fight..Bit like the Nunn Kalambay unification..

He'd be better off rematching Eubank...Winnable and millions involved.

I knew he was fighting sometime in December... didn't realise it had happened until I read that one-line post. Says it all really.

As Haz says, hanging around for a payday... but didn't think £2million was enough to face a career-ending battering from GGG.

210 pounds? Sounds like Hatton style preparation... it's almost Nazweight!

hazharrison wrote:I think its called "hanging out for a big payday".

He's trying to hang onto that belt until he can cash out against Golovkin (not his first choice) or Canelo (preferable but Canelo may not want it after dropping the WBC).

The decision to drop Jimmy Tibbs seems bizarre. I heard BJS came down from 210 pounds!

I didn't know that Tibbs had been dropped. Who's training him now?

horizontalhero wrote:

hazharrison wrote:I think its called "hanging out for a big payday".

He's trying to hang onto that belt until he can cash out against Golovkin (not his first choice) or Canelo (preferable but Canelo may not want it after dropping the WBC).

The decision to drop Jimmy Tibbs seems bizarre. I heard BJS came down from 210 pounds!

I didn't know that Tibbs had been dropped. Who's training him now?

I'm not sure as didn't watch it but I heard he was giving Tibbs a ring afterwards to try and get him back. He was awful from all accounts.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Not sure GGG is that bigger fight..Bit like the Nunn Kalambay unification..

He'd be better off rematching Eubank...Winnable and millions involved.

It certainly isn't now. Who'd pay to watch that after Saturday (I haven't seen the fight but Saunders was universally panned)?

TBH BJS is a tad delusional if he thinks he deserves a £4/5m payday to face GGG or Canelo. His two best wins could easily have been reversals, and he'd be a nobody.

The fight was just awful to watch. To be fair to BJS, he was very honest after the fight saying he would be embarrassed to call out GGG after that performance.

The guy in his corner was painfully bad to listen too. He must have his coaching badges I'm sure but he came across like an extra from eastenders! His common piece of advice was to breath! Offered zero useful advice.

Valero's Conscience wrote:The fight was just awful to watch. To be fair to BJS, he was very honest after the fight saying he would be embarrassed to call out GGG after that performance.

The guy in his corner was painfully bad to listen too. He must have his coaching badges I'm sure but he came across like an extra from eastenders! His common piece of advice was to breath! Offered zero useful advice.

You pay peanuts...

He probably met him on a stag do in marbella, shared some shots and all of a sudden he's his coach!

Just think that guy can say he was a head coach in a legit world title fight

could be worse - he could have his dad in the corner telling him how to sit on a stool properly

I think hes found his level, been guided pretty well to a world title and is being matched to bank some pretty safe defences. He just about scraped past the likes of Ryder, Eubank and Lee (many had losing some of those fights and theres an argument they all deserved a rematch) so I dont think they will step up much past that unless there is a lot of money on the table.

Now would be a good time to pitch towards Alvarez after looking pretty poor. They might be tempted to take that fight at the full middleweight limit and I think a full middleweight like Saunders has the potential to upset Alvarez.

You could say Frampton scraped past Quigg which is wrong too..

He did enough to win and made sure he didn't do anything stupid.

Saunders deserves more credit..Smart if dull fighter.

Sorry Truss, but I can't agree that doing just enough and then nothing stupid is smart- Judges are not always that good- look at the recent controversy with Ward- or ask ODLH if running away from Tito was smart. Smart doesn't leave it to chance, it shuts it out.

More than entitled to disagree mate..

catchweight wrote:I think hes found his level, been guided pretty well to a world title and is being matched to bank some pretty safe defences. He just about scraped past the likes of Ryder, Eubank and Lee (many had losing some of those fights and theres an argument they all deserved a rematch) so I dont think they will step up much past that unless there is a lot of money on the table.

Now would be a good time to pitch towards Alvarez after looking pretty poor. They might be tempted to take that fight at the full middleweight limit and I think a full middleweight like Saunders has the potential to upset Alvarez.

it would be a good time to be active! When the like of Benn and Eubank were competing for this title , it was on the line every 3 months. Regardless of the quality of opposition , a fighter of Billy's age and at this stage of his career shouldn't be talking 12 months between fights. He's wasting good talent and I think that's sad.

He seems like a guy that is happy just doing enough. In the ring and out of it. He never looks like he's in great shape to me, never looks like he's that well prepared. Looks like a guy with a lot of natural ability that's happy to just rely on that until he either gets his big pay day or comes unstuck. I think GGG would absolutely destroy him. Utter carnage. Easier nights work than Kell Brook, IMO. I don't think BJS ever fights Canelo or GGG. He'll hold that belt hostage for as long as possible. They desperately want Eubank again because it's big money and they've beat him already so in their mind it's the best option.

If I was BJS, I would fight GGG to bank as much as possible and if he loses, he could probably still get Eubank Jr. Would surely bank c. £4-5m off the two fights. Both fights could sell out the 02 Arena (any marginally big fight does in the UK).

Saunders should look for Eubank...and then Alvarez..

BJS isn't as big of a name as Brook...Not had the exposure...

So I imagine Eubank is just as...if not more economically viable..

GGG is 35 ??...No harm in making him wait.....He will start deteriorating soon..

Or maybe clear up if GGG moves up which he'll have to do pretty soon if he is going to be successful at Super with his style..

People like Degale and Smith will be able to take a shot better at 168 and the tank gets emptier in your late 30s

Poor fighter, got a world title beating a poor Andy Lee.

If he fought Golovkin, Jacobs etc he would get absolutely smashed.

Struggled against Akavov, was there for the taking against Eubank had the latter not been lazy early on......

Soon as he fights a good fighter he gets beat handily.

Marketed and matched will in his career, wont take risks....the fact he is fighting 2 more nobodies is a sign of that

BJS is not a poor fighter at all, you don't clean out what was a competitive domestic division without talent and Lee is hardly a poor fighter either. There's very little to choose between him and Jacobs who's stock seems to be rising disproportionately to his talent and record.

Wouldn't exactly say he cleaned it out Hammer.

Yes he won the fights, but laboured it all the way through and should/could have lost some!

It's not like he smashed the domestic scene like Joshua...

Had he dominated Ryder and Eubank then fair enough...but he scraped passed them both ....took out Andy Lee...but how good is Andy Lee really? Has a hail Mary right and tends to lose at the top.

BJS would get flattened by Jacobs I would bet heavily on it.

I'd also be heavily on him never fighting him