Could Saunders Upset Canelo This Weekend In Texas?

This weekend, the boxer regarded by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, will put his WBC (Super), WBA and The Ring Super Middleweight titles on the line as he takes on the undefeated WBO Super Middleweight Champion, Billy Joe Saunders.

The fight takes place at the AT&T Stadium in Houston, Texas, a home from home for Alvarez, who is sure to draw on plenty of local support in his 59^th bout as a professional. However, he faces a test against Saunders, a taller opponent, with a longer reach and who themselves are unbeaten in 30 professional fights.

With a very impressive undercard to support the main event on Saturday evening (early hours of Sunday morning in the UK) it promises to be a very exciting night of boxing and there are going to be plenty of punters looking at having a bet on the outcome of this huge bout. If you enjoy boxing betting and want a great selection of pre-fight markets, as well as extensive In Play betting options when the fight starts, then bet365 Sport is the place to start.

The fight is also going to draw huge interest across the United States and Mexico in particular, where Canelo has outstanding levels of support, so if you are based in the U.S. and want all the latest sports betting news, including some great offers for the Canelo v Saunders fight, then check out the latest posts and news at bestbetusa.com.

Let’s now take a closer look at the fight and preview both fighters, before we give you our impressions of how the fight will go, along with our tips for the best bets to back on the bout.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez V Billy Joe Saunders

Tale Of The Tape

There were dramatic scenes earlier this week when the two camps of the boxers clashed in the hotel over the size of the ring. Saunders camp were unhappy at the dimensions and at one point, threatened to pull out of the fight unless the issue was addressed.

Happily, 24-hours later, Saunders claimed that his grievances had been resolved and that the fight would indeed go ahead as planned.

The bout is expected to start around 4am on Sunday, UK Time.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Pen Pic

The Mexican superstar is the biggest draw in professional boxing at the minute due to his incredible record. He has won world championships in four weight classes, from light middleweight to light heavyweight. He is rated as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today by many esteemed boxing commentators and publications.

After a superb amateur career in his native Mexico, where he finished with a 44-2 record, Canelo turned professional aged just 15. After winning his first four bouts, Canelo was held to a draw by Jorge Juarez, but then won his next 29 fights to earn a chance to fight Matthew Hatton for the vacant WBC Light Middleweight title in June 2011.

He made six successful defences of that title before his only career loss, to Floyd Mayweather Jr. By now, Canelo was already regarded as one of the superstars of boxing and he began to take on some of the biggest names at middleweight, culminating in a victory over Miguel Cotto to win the WBC Middleweight title and then he beat Liam Smith two fights later to win the WBO Light Middleweight title.

In November 2019, he moved up to Light Heavyweight to beat Sergey Kovalev and claim the WBO Light Heavyweight title and then in is next fight he claimed the WBA (Super), The Ring and WBC Super Middleweight titles beating Callum Smith.

Canelo’s 58-bout career has included battles against almost every top name operating at Light Middleweight, Middleweight and Super Middleweight with Shane Mosley, Austin Trout, Kermit Clinton, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Gennady Golovkin, Rocky Fielding, Daniel Jacobs, Callum Smith and Avni Yilridum just some of the names he has fought and beaten over the years.

Canelo will start the fight as the heavy favourite to win his 56^th bout, but he faces an opponent that could well offer him something very different to others he has faced of late.

Billy Joe Saunders Pen Pic

The unbeaten Saunders has won world titles at both middleweight and Super Middleweight in his career and the 31 year old is unbeaten in the 30 bouts he has fought in as a professional.

The amateur star turned professional after winning gold at the Olympic Games in 2008 and amassed 22 wins with no losses, including wis over Chris Eubank Jr. and Emanuele Blandamura, to set up a WBO Middleweight Title shot against Andy Lee.

Saunders won the fight by majority decision and defended the title against Artur Akavov, Willie Monroe Jr. and David Lemieux. After vacating the title after controversy over a failed drugs test in the United States, he then won the vacant WBO Super Middleweight title against Sfeat Isufi in May 2019.

Successful defences against Marcelo Estaban Coceres and Martin Murray followed before Saunders was signed up to take on Alvarez in what is easily the most difficult fight of his career so far.

The boxer has been involved in a number of controversies in his career which have polarised opinion of him and he is a close friend of heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

Alvarez V Saunders – Fight Tips

Chris Eubank Jr has purportedly bet £10,000 on Canelo Alvarez to win his fight, but with Alvarez’s odds being 1/7 with bet365 Sport at the moment, he doesn’t stand to win a huge amount compared to his stake.

It is not difficult to see why Alvarez is the clear favourite. Not only has he beaten almost every top fighter he has faced, bar one, he has punching power that most middleweights and super-middleweights struggle to contend with.

Saunders himself is not a huge puncher as his 14 knock out wins attest. However, he does have excellent ring-craft and is well-used to staying out of trouble and trying to land punches to pick up the rounds. He also has an uncanny knack of doing well in close fights to do just enough to pick up the victory.

That said, it is hard to make a case for Saunders here, no matter how confident the British fighter is ahead of the fight. I am backing Canelo to win the fight and I think he will win by a KO or TKO (10/11 with bet365) and he will land his victory in the ninth round (12/1).

*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport as of 12.25pm on Thursday May 6.