Billy Joe Saunders is losing weight after pictures of the boxing star circulated looking massively over his old super-middleweight limit.
Saunders says he will return to boxing despite being out of action for sixteen months since his loss to Canelo Alvarez.
The Hatfield man has had to fight off negativity surrounding his career since piling on weight after a first career loss.
Serious career doubts crept in due to Saunders flying under the radar since picking up the most significant check.
The former two-weight world champion assured fans training to get back into some shape is already underway.
“I think this year is definitely possible for myself. I’m in the gym now, enjoying myself and going twice a day.
“I’m just enjoying it with the lads. I seem to be enjoying it. The weight is coming off, and I’m getting fitter by the day.
“I’m not going to rush anything. When I’m ready, I’m ready.
“It could be the end of the year or early next year. We’ll soon find out. It all depends on the opponents available.”
A long-term goal for Saunders could be Chris Eubank Jr. The pair remain tied together in rivalry after fighting a back-and-forth encounter in 2014.
Dominating the first six rounds, Saunders got pegged back as Eubank Jr. came on strong. He managed to keep his undefeated run via a close split decision.
Since then, the despise between the pair has been as strong as ever.
Eubank has to come through Conor Benn on October 8th to make a 2023 collision a reality. Saunders also has to ship a shedload of timber.
Airing his views on Eubank Jr. vs Benn, Saunders told DAZN: “A lot of people are favoring Eubank because of the size.
“You know the clever thing that the Benn’s have done here is obviously put the weight restriction on it. Now, it all depends on how [Eubank is] will handle that at 32.
The catchweight is 157 pounds, and he’s only allowed to put on so many pounds before it’s a certain time.
“A lot of fighters might not be able to rehydrate to where they need to be.
“If you could give Conor Benn another year’s experience and then give him the advantage of the weight scenario, I would most definitely, without hesitation, say Conor Benn.
“With Eubank’s experience, he’s been in some big fights, but Conor Benn, you can never write him off. I’ve just got a feeling that he will pull something out of the bag.”
Discussing the family feud between their fathers dating back to the 1990s, Saunders added: “I’ve talked to [Conor], I’ve been talking to him for a while. He looks so composed. He wants it so bad.
“There’s something on the line here that no one will ever understand, only them.”
Eubank Jr. had argued that the weight stipulation of 157 pounds when he recently fought at 168 would hamper him significantly.
Saunders says the draining of the Brighton man makes the fight even.
“When he says he’s at 60% [due to the weight], he’s probably saying that to cover his own back, to be honest.
“Perhaps it’s worrying him a little bit. I will put it out there as a completely 50-50 fight.”
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