After a feisty build-up, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders will stop all the talking and finally get down to fighting on Saturday.

A deal for a long-rumoured bout appeared set to be signed in 2020, only for the coronavirus pandemic to force a change in plans. Canelo instead fought Callum Smith in December of last year, claiming the WBA and WBC super-middleweight titles with a unanimous points win.

A routine victory over Avni Yildirim followed in February, paving the way for a unification clash with undefeated WBO champion Saunders.

The bout had appeared in danger of being called off at one stage during fight week, a dispute over the ring size leaving Saunders contemplating flying home, but a compromise was reached to make sure the main event remains on a card that could see a record crowd in attendance in Texas.

That disagreement – along with a head-to-head photoshoot on Wednesday that threatened to boil over – has only turned up the heat on a rivalry that has been simmering away for years.

"The ring doesn’t really matter, as long as it's fair," Saunders told Stats Perform News. "What was agreed was agreed, no one went back on it. The ring will be inspected before the fight as well, making sure everything is on course and ready to rock and roll."

A little extra room to manoeuvre should suit the Briton, who has been waiting for an opportunity at one of the big names ever since schooling David Lemieux at middleweight back in December 2017.

His southpaw style and obvious boxing skills have led to 30 straight wins as a pro, the last of which saw him out-point Martin Murray at the end of last year. This is clearly the biggest test of his career to date, but he is not fazed at taking on a fighter most rank top in their pound-for-pound list.

Heavyweight world champion and close friend Tyson Fury has flown in to offer his support, but Canelo should feel right at home inside the AT&T Stadium, a venue where he previously defeated Liam Smith.

For the Mexican, this is all about enhancing his legacy as he looks to clean up in the division. Saunders is just another hurdle that needs to be cleared, albeit one that has the potential to be tricky.


Recent history

Canelo dominated Yildirim in a box-ticking exercise, clearing the path by overcoming his mandatory challenger for the WBC belt. It was a sixth straight triumph since the split-decision draw with Gennadiy Golovkin in September 2017 - and, of course, he went on to prevail in their rematch.

As for Saunders, the performance against Lemieux was meant to be a springboard to bigger and better fights. Instead, he did not fight for over a year. Victory over Shefat Isufi in May 2019 clinched the WBO crown after moving up to the 168-pound limit and he has defended that strap twice since.

Tale of the tape

Saul Alvarez
Age: 30
Height: 5ft 8ins (173cm)
Weight: 167.4lbs
Reach: 70.5ins 
Professional record: 55-1-2 (37 KOs)

Billy Joe Saunders
Age: 31
Height: 5ft 11ins (180cm)
Weight: 167.8lbs
Reach: 71ins 
Professional record: 30-0 (14 KOs)

The undercard

Mexican Elwin Soto defends his WBO light-flyweight title against Katsunari Takayama, while British super-welterweight Kieron Conway takes on the undefeated Souleymane Cissokho. Look out for Keyshawn Davis too, the highly rated American prospect who is 2-0 after opting to turn pro rather than wait to compete at the delayed Tokyo Olympics.

What they said…

Canelo on ring disagreement: "I don't care about the size of the ring. I'm just going to go there and do my job. It's not the only excuse he's had. He's had plenty of excuses."

Saunders on Canelo: "I've seen him for many, many years. He's a complete fighter. I know what's got to be done. He's a brilliant fighter, got to rate him. He's down as pound-for-pound king, so it's my turn to turn the boxing world upside down."

Fury offers a prediction: "I think he [Billy] is going to give him a boxing lesson, smash him, then stop him about round 11 or 12. I'm really confident, honestly. I've never been as confident about anything in my life. You're going to see something special. Don't make Canelo out to be some killer - he's just a little man with a pair of boxing gloves on."