Canelo Alvarez, Billy Joe Saunders make weight for Texas showdown

Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Britain’s Billy Joe Saunders comfortably made the weight for Saturday’s super middleweight title fight in Texas on Friday.

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WBA and WBC champion Alvarez tipped the scales at 167.4 pounds, well below the division’s 168-pound limit, while  WBO holder Sanders weighed in at 167.8lbs.

A crowd of around 3 000 fans – mostly cheering for Mexican idol Alvarez – were in attendance for Friday’s weigh-in, which took place at the AT&T Stadium hosting this weekend’s fight.

Around 70 000 spectators – the largest crowd for a sporting event in the United States since the pandemic began – are expected for the fight staged at the Arlington, Texas home of the Dallas Cowboys.

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Although Saunders and Alvarez have trash-talked each other in the build-up this week, the two men were on their best behaviour at Friday’s weigh-in where they faced off without incident.

“It’s going to be a good fight,” Saunders (30-0, 14 knockouts) told streaming platform DAZN after the weigh-in.

“He’s a great champion. But I’ve come here to take all of his titles and take them by storm.”

Asked what he would have to do differently to upset Alvarez, Saunders replied: “I haven’t lost in my career, 30-0, unbeaten. So therefore he has to do something differently to beat me, not the other way around.”

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Alvarez meanwhile said he was bracing for a tough battle against the English southpaw.

“He’s a difficult fighter and he’s also a southpaw, but at this level you have to adjust and I’m ready for anything,” Alvarez said.

“It will be a hard fight, especially in the beginning rounds.

“I’ve been in big fights before. I have the experience to deal with it. I’m ready for tomorrow,” said Alvarez, who is 55-1 with two draws and 37 knockouts.

167.4 LB #CaneloSaunders #FightWeek pic.twitter.com/Kbac94x8ko

— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) May 7, 2021