CANELO ALVAREZ has branded a member of Billy Joe Saunders’ team a ‘f***ing p***y’ amid an ongoing ring dispute ahead of their Dallas dust-up.
Saunders’ eagerly-anticipated super-middleweight title unification bout with the pound-for-pound king was in danger of falling through due to a dispute over the size of the ring.
The pair were initially set to trade blows in a 20ft ring at Dallas’ Cowboys Stadium, which Team Saunders thought gave Mexican mauler Canelo an unfair advantage.
Saunders cast doubt over the fight by no-showing for his first face-off with the four-weight champion.
And things got heated after a member of the Brit’s team taunted Canelo by saying: “What’s happening with the ring?
“We’ve come a long way, grow some b****cks.”
Canelo didn’t take kindly to the comments and replied in English: “You are a f***ing p***y.”
Saunders’ dad, Tommy, cast sparked serious concern on Tuesday evening when he claimed the ‘fight’s off‘.
He told iFL TV: “There’s nothing in the contract about ring size.
“Negotiations have broke down… They’ve said it’s either 20ft or book your flights home.
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“The fight’s off.”
But his son took to Instagram a few hours later to insists his clash with the pride of Mexico will go ahead.
He said:
And Saunders’ fellow Brit Tyson Fury has called for his good friend’s demand for the fight to be in a 22 footer to be met.
He tweeted: “We will travel all over the world to fight the best fighters, all we ask is for a bit of fair play.”
WBO 168lb champ Saunders left the negotiating of the ring size down to his management but has called for the issue to be resolved as soon as possible.
Saunders himself has thrown the biggest fight of his career into further doubt by no-showing for his first face-off with the four-weight world champion.
He told Behind the Gloves: “There’s one or two small things now.
“One of those small things and when I say small is the ring. I’ve left it to my team. I let them sort out all of that rubbish.
‘”You don’t go in a 70,000 seat stadium with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of feet long and dance in a 16-foot ring or an 18-foot ring or even a 20-foot ring.
“This magnitude of fight has to be on a fair playing field.”
Saunders could end up being replaced by fellow Brit John Ryder if he opts against fighting Canelo in the 20ft squared circle.
Ryder told Boxing News: “Put it this way, it’s a bit earlier than scheduled but I’m definitely going to pack my gum shield and my protector just in case.
That’s the sport we’re involved in. Especially with Covid, how many times have you seen fights pulled last minute with positive tests coming through and main events falling through.
“I’m going there tomorrow regardless. What’s an extra couple of ounces for a protector and a gumshield? I’m taking my gloves and boots anyway.
“What’s the saying – have gloves, will travel. That’s me.”
