Canelo Reacts To Billy Joe Saunders’ Eye Injury

Canelo Alvarez has given his take on Billy Joe Saunders’ team deciding the eye injury was too much to continue.

Canelo and Saunders did battle in a super-middleweight title fight this past Saturday night, May 8. The two collided inside AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas. Canelo won the fight via eighth-round TKO when Saunders didn’t get off his stool for the ninth round.

It was an eye injury that spelled the end for Saunders’ unbeaten record. He now sits at 30-1. Canelo spoke to media members after the fight and said he knew the damage on Saunders’ eye would lead to the finish (via BoxingScene.com).

“It’s hard because I saw when he broke his cheekbone, I went back to the corner and I told Eddy that I didn’t think he can continue. When you break your cheekbone, you can risk your life and you can’t continue that way.”

Matchroom Boxing Eddie Hearn told DAZN that Saunders’ orbital bone was broken and that he could be shelved for a lengthy period of time.

“He couldn’t see. I spoke to Mark Tibbs, he said he couldn’t see and he wouldn’t let him go out. He busted his eye socket. He’s going to be out for a long, long time.”

Hearn later told Mike Coppinger of The Athletic that Saunders suffered a quadripod fracture. Saunders was being held at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas to undergo surgery.