As Canelo’s next bout sees him pitted against undefeated middleweight WBO super middleweight world champion, Billy Joe Saunders, Saturday, May 8th, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as Canelo looks to win his eleventh world title across four different weight division spanning from junior middleweight all the way to light heavyweight. 

Canelo, who left Golden Boy Promotions, last after a strained relationship, now has fought twice, since getting out of that contract, one, a pitstop to get a belt at super middleweight against Callum Smith and more of a showcase world title defense against Avni Yildrim, this past February. 

Canelo will now return at his traditional fight date of the Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, which has long since been a fight calendar staple for Mexican fighters. 

Canelo’s foil, Billy Joe Saunders, an anti-hero, who has made his bones as a great fighter, and outside the ring as a provocative figure who never strays from controversy, is a large underdog mainly, because his best path to victory is a decision which seems hard to come against Canelo. 

Yet the odds line states that Canelo is a prohibitive favorite -715, and Saunders is a healthy underdog +425, and for good reason. These odds can be found on Draftkings, which is featured as the number one site via Sports Betting Dime. You can also find a whole host of fight props including Canelo to win by KO/TKO +110 or by Decision +135, two very different outcomes with similar betting lines.

Saunders has marquee wins, most notable, beating David Lemieux in Lemieux’s backyard, in Laval, Quebec, Canada, on HBO. Since then though…Saunders has been void of the big fight with his most notable win coming against an aging Martin Murray, in a performance that didn’t set the world on fire. 

Beyond that, Saunders has had issues outside the ring, insensitive comments, and furthermore a drug-test failure in the lead-up to a major fight between himself and Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade.

Despite being such a great fighter, Saunders over the past four years hasn’t really been in with the world’s best besides Lemieux, and now is taking on the man many feel is the best in the sport, Canelo.

Canelo, on top of that, is now one of the most defensively sound fighters in the sport, as many insiders have confided to me, that the only fighters that worry them with Canelo, are big punchers who could change the course of a fight with one blow.

Saunders, to this point, isn’t that. Saunders is a back-foot boxer, looking to make you miss and pay. Saunders is also working with Mark Tibbs, whom he had trained with prior, but started with again.

The issue for Saunders is simple – Saunders looks like the goods, but doesn’t have the resume for us to hold faith in him being the goods, Canelo is a tried and true tradition of excellence, who comes into the ring in great shape, and is a student of the game. 

Simply put, that seems to be far too much even for a talented fighter like Saunders at this point, who could provide a game challenge, but also has had limited competition, and will be getting in with the best fighter he has faced in his entire career, facing rather mid-level competition. 

So what does this fight mean? 

Well, for Canelo, it is another world-class undefeated fighter for his resume, and for Saunders it is his chance to emulate what his good friend, Tyson Fury, did and come to America, and take over. 

The path to victory for Saunders is something only one man could do against Canelo, and that man might be the best boxer ever, Floyd Mayweather, out-box him. Saunders must stay elusive, and keep Canelo out of rhythm so Canelo is unable to land his crushing power shots which can turn the tide of the fight. 

The fight is legacy for Canelo, and career-definement for Saunders. Canelo looking to continue his march towards being the greatest Mexican boxer ever, and Saunders to be an all-time great. 

So the fight, which occurs this week, Saturday, May 8th, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, broadcast nationally by DAZN, is simple – can Saunders beat the experience of Canelo?