Could Billy Joe Saunders Retire In Two Years’ Time?

Billy Joe Saunders is the current holder of the WBO middleweight title, a belt he has been in possession of since 2015 after beating Andy Lee at the Manchester Arena. Since then Saunders, who is now being trained by Sheffield’s Dominic Ingle after splitting with Adam Booth, has defended his title on three occasions with his fourth defense set to take place in April against Martin Murray in what is being billed as the Battle of Britain. In spite of this strong presence in the sport, Saunders, in a pre-fight press conference has hinted that he is actually thinking of retiring from the sport in a couple of years’ time.

You could quite easily say that Saunders last time out against Canada’s David Lemieux put in potentially his best ever performance as he schooled the 29 year old in his own backyard, in front of his own fans. Many people also suggested it was one of the best fights of the year and one of the best they had seen for quite some time. This begs the question as to why Saunders would consider retiring in just a couple of years’ time when things look to be going so well for the undefeated middleweight.

Saunders, who has won all of his 26 professional bouts as a boxer, with 12 by the way of knockout, said that he wanted to be done at 30 or 31; and expressed his opinion that some fighters stay in the sport for a year or six months too long, which can then have a big impact on your life and family. He also said that he didn’t feel that he has yet hit his peak as a fighter, but questioned whether anyone wants to be getting punched for the next 10 years.

That being said, Saunders is likely to keep on boxing while there is still the chance of a mega fight about. The bout against Martin Murray, while it is a fight that will draw in the viewers, it will also act as a reminder of why Saunders should be getting the chance to take on the winner of the Golovkin Canelo rematch. As things stand it certainly seems both men aren’t too keen on taking on the current WBO middleweight champion, but if he keeps winning fights and impressing there may come a time when they simply can’t avoid him any longer. Boxing fans should visit Betting.com’s vast directory of online betting sites, if they fancy placing a bet on the these matches and keep up to date with all the latest sporting news.

A fight against either is likely to give Saunders a reason to stay active in the sport and under new trainer Dominic Ingle with him, Saunders is likely to keep on going from strength to strength. He has in the past been accused of not taking boxing seriously enough, allowing his weight to balloon between fights and not retaining a good level of fitness. However, under Ingle’s guidance Saunders looks to have the bit between his teeth once again and this could be instrumental in him fighting on for a good few years yet, especially if there are still big fights to be had.