Canelo vs. Saunders Preview: Everything you Need to Know

The boxing world turns its attention to Texas this Saturday, watch as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders square off in a super middleweight unification bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. While we wait for Teofimo Lopez’s next fight, this card promises to bring the thrills Latino boxing fans love.

Alvarez, 30, is coming off an impressive TKO victory over Avni Yildirim on February 27, where he successfully defended his WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight titles. Yildirim quit on the stool after the third round.

Saunders, 31, last fought in December, where he defeated countryman Martin Murray via unanimous decision to retain the WBO super middleweight championship.

While Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) is relatively unknown outside boxing circles, he is an elusive southpaw with an above-average jab, a style which has caused Canelo (55-1-2, 37 KOs) problems in the past, specifically against Erislandy Lara in 2014.

“[Saunders] is a great fighter, he has a lot of abilities and he’s also a southpaw but I’m not the same fighter I was six or seven years ago. On Saturday, I will show that,” Alvarez told CBS. “I’ve been involved in a lot of big fights and this is just another day at the office. I come to win and boxing is my life. I come here to win.”

Earlier this week, there was a dispute over the size of the ring, with Saunders reportedly wanting the fight to take place in a 22-foot squared circle, and even threatening to pull out of the bout if his demands weren’t met. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed and both sides came to an agreement.

“I don’t care about the size of the ring,” Alvarez told TMZ.  “I can give him the entire stadium. I don’t care.”

The fight is expected to draw 70,000 fans to Arlington, which would make it the largest US crowd since the pandemic began almost 14 months ago. According to AT&T Stadium’s website, all employees will wear masks, while spectators are encouraged – but not required – to wear them.

“We’re gonna be just under 70,000. So it’s gonna be incredible,” promoter Eddie Hearn told TMZ. “I think I remember seeing Canelo box Liam Smith, and it was about 40,000 people there, and the atmosphere was just absolutely insane. This is gonna be a very, very special atmosphere.”

In addition, the roof is expected to be closed, which will officially make this fight an indoor event and thus set the all time record for an indoor boxing card, eclipsing the second fight between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks, which took place at the Superdome in New Orleans in 1978. That match sold 63,352 tickets, according to DAZN.

While the fight might seem close on paper and Saunders represents Canelo’s toughest opponent since Gennadiy Golovkin, oddsmakers have a decidedly different view.

Alvarez is currently a heavy favorite against Saunders at -800 (bet $800 to win $100). Saunders, for his part, comes in as a +550 underdog.

“Sometimes when you enter the ring, no one really gives the underdog a chance until you start watching him,” Saunders told CBS. “It’s always good to see the underdog win whether it’s horse racing, dogs, boxing, football. I always root for the underdog and I know I’m the underdog this time.”

The card takes place Saturday, May 8, and begins at 8 p.m. ET. Fans who wish to watch the fight can do so by subscribing to DAZN, which costs $19.99/month, or $99.99/year when you pay for the subscription upfront.