Advertisement

Updated May 10th, 2021 at 15:34 IST

Billy Joe Saunders injury update: Boxer set for lengthy absence after eye surgery

Billy Joe Saunders injury update: Eddie Hearn claims that Saunders might not be able to return “for a long, long time” after suffering the horrific eye injury.

Reported by: Adil Khan
billy joe saunders injury update
Image Source: AP, DAZN | Image:self
Advertisement

Billy Joe Saunders might not be able to return “for a long, long time” due to the horrific eye injury he suffered while fighting Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on Saturday night. The Brit lost his WBO super middleweight title in front of a fully-packed at AT&T Stadium in Texas after talking some brutal punches straight to his right eye, forcing it to completely close up. Because of this, Saunders’s corner threw in the towel at the end of the eighth round, giving Canelo his second straight win of the year. Apart from the WBO super middleweight title, Alvarez now also hold the WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight titles.

Billy Joe Saunders injury update: Billy Joe Saunders eye surgery

After the conclusion of the clash, Saunders was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery on Sunday to repair ‘multiple fractures to his orbital area’. The news was confirmed by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn on iFL TV, who praised Saunders’ trainer Mark Tibbs for making the correct call by stopping the fight. “You could see as soon as he [Canelo] hit him [Saunders] that he’d done his eye socket,” Hearn added.

Billy Joe Saunders injury update: Billy Joe Saunders return

Eddie Hearn claimed that if Tibbs would have not stopped the fight, then Billy Joe Saunders’ injury might have been much worse. However, while Saunders and his teammates want the Brit to return as soon as possible, Hearn asked the boxer to focus on his recovery, which might take a “long, long time”. Hearn believes Saunders should not take the defeat to heart as he was bested by one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of the current generation.

Billy Joe Saunders face: How much did Billy Joe Saunders make from Canelo Alvarez fight

Despite losing the clash, Billy Joe Saunders took home the biggest purse of his career. According to Sportekz.com, Saunders received a guaranteed $2.5 million pay-out from the Canelo Alvarez fight and also got 40% of the PPV share. Various bonuses and sponsorships might have taken Saunders’ purse to at least $5 million, as per reports.

Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders fight purse

Canelo Alvarez, on the other hand, banked a guaranteed $15 million pay-out, the same he received for his last clash against Avni Yildirim. Canelo also received 60% of the PPV share and after considering various bonuses and sponsorships, he might have taken home a whopping $35 million on Saturday night.

Image Source: AP, DAZN

Advertisement

Published May 10th, 2021 at 15:33 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo