Boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez came face-to-face with British brawler Billy Joe Saunders during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference, just a couple of days out from their pay-per-view (PPV) title fight this Sat. night (May 8, 2021) inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The fight nearly fell apart at the eleventh hour following a dispute in ring size. Team Saunders claimed Canelo & Co. were trying to “take away his legs” by erecting a smaller ring for this weekend’s blockbuster headliner.
“We’ve given a lot away here,” head coach and father Tom Saunders told ESPN earlier this week. “We ain’t gonna give away no more. It’s a 22-foot ring or there’s no fight. Simple as that. We’re here to fight. We’re here to win.”
So is Alvarez.
“It’s not the only excuse he’s had,” Alvarez said. “He’s had plenty of excuses. I’m just going to go in there and do what I have to do.”
Billy Jo told reporters at today’s presser the ring size was “not an issue,” though officials did not clarify if the ring would be 20 or 22 feet.
We’ll find out on Sat. night.