Canelo and Saunders booked for Texas showdown in May
Rob Lancaster
March 19, 2021 16:44 MYT
March 19, 2021 16:44 MYT
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders will meet in Texas for their super-middleweight unification showdown, after AT&T Stadium was confirmed as the venue for the bout.
Alvarez will be defending his WBA 'Super' and WBC titles at the home of the Dallas Cowboys on May 8, while Saunders puts the WBO belt on the line.
Canelo previously fought in February, recording a TKO win over Avni Yildirim – who was the mandatory challenger for the WBC strap – after three rounds in .
Now the Mexican continues his quest to become the undisputed champion in the division, taking on an undefeated opponent in a fight that was lined up to take place last year, only for that plan to be shelved due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, who works with Canelo, is excited about the prospect of fans being in attendance for "the biggest fight of 2021 so far" on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
This one is special!!! 70,000 fans - Cinco de Mayo weekend!! #CaneloSaunders huge unification lands at AT&T Stadium @dallascowboys May 8 live on @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/xEwIjz0EDe — Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) March 19, 2021
An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.
"Last year Canelo missed out on his historic Cinco De Mayo fight, and to bring over 60,000 fans together at this iconic stadium this year is a dream come true," Hearn said.
"This fight is the biggest of 2021 so far with Canelo looking to unify the division once more against undefeated two-weight world champion Billy Joe Saunders.
"We want to thank [Cowboys owner] Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium for their efforts to bring this global event to their stunning facility and we look forward to giving the fans a momentous occasion and a Cinco de Mayo celebration they will never forget."
Saunders boasts a 30-0 record as a pro and previously won a world title down at middleweight.
He will be the fourth British fighter to take on Canelo, who defeated Liverpudlian Liam Smith in a super-welterweight contest staged at AT&T Stadium back in September 2016.