Boxing

Thirty-year-old Saunders can be seen explaining what to do if "your old woman is giving you mouth" and how to "hit her on the chin".

In the footage, the WBO world super-middleweight champion demonstrates boxing techniques on a punching bag.

But Saunders later insisted he does not condone domestic violence, and said sorry to anyone offended by the video after receiving a backlash online.

"I would never condone domestic violence and if I saw a man touch a woman I would smash him to pieces myself," he wrote on Twitter.

"I have a daughter and if a man laid a finger on her it would be [sic] end well. Apologies if I offended any women stay blessed."

Saunders has won all of his 29 professional fights and his promoter Eddie Hearn said last month the 30-year-old was awaiting a decision as to whether he or fellow Briton Callum Smith would fight Mexican great Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez next.

Canelo will put his WBA and WBC belts on the line against the undefeated Saunders on May 8 after clinically dispatching an over-matched Anvi Yildirim in three rounds in Miami on Saturday.

Saunders was set to face Canelo last May before the coronavirus shutdown intervened and British fighter has already moved to start the pre-fight mind games by suggesting the pound-for-pound Mexican superstar has benefitted from favourable scorecards in the past.

Canelo boxed to a draw and a majority decision win over the course of two thrilling and close bouts with Gennadiy Golovkin.

Back in 2013, when the four-weight champion suffered his only career loss to the great Floyd Mayweather Jr, one judge remarkably scored the fight a draw.

Such instances appear to be at the forefront of Saunders' mind – with good reason given only 14 of his 30 career wins have come by stoppage.

"So long as I make sure everything's on a fair playing field," he told iFL TV.

"To me, money doesn't really matter. Victory matters.

"When someone works all their life to get to where they need to get in life, it's very important that people be fair.

"If I win, give me the decision. If I don't win, I don't win. But as long as it's fair.

"I already know when I go there I'm three rounds down. So I need to make sure everyone's on a fair, even playing field."

Caleb Plant's IBF strap will be the only major prize at 168lbs residing outside of a blockbuster contest.

However, to Saunders, the prospect of defeating a fighter widely recognised as the finest in the sport appeals far more than whatever baubles that might bring.

"This ain't really about nothing but me versus him. Winner v winner, that's what it is," he said.

"We know nobody is unbeatable. Nobody. That's for sure.

"It's going to be a very tough fight and a very hard one. But I wouldn't just be getting in this ring for money or for a chance just to be seen.

"I'm going in there for one reason and one reason only. May 8 can't come quick enough."

Using his height and longer reach to his advantage, the Kyrgyz-born Russian landed the cleaner and harder shots against Alvarez in a clinical display.

All three judges handed down scores of 115-113 in Bivol's favour despite what was largely a non-competitive fight.

Alvarez confirmed he would exercise his rematch clause and Bivol took no issue, believing the win solidifies his status in the division.

"No problem," Bivol said via translator post-fight. "I took this fight because I just wanted to get the opportunity and I appreciate this opportunity.

"I didn't fight for anything except getting the fight.

"I'm ready for the rematch, I just want to make sure that I can be treated like the champion now."

Bivol moved to 20-0 with his ninth consecutive title defence, while it marks the second official defeat of Alvarez's career in his return to light heavyweight following 2013's majority-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather.

There was no repeat of their contentious December 2018 draw as Fury overwhelmed the previously undefeated champion before Wilder's corner threw in the towel in the seventh round on Saturday.

The Brit took a 42-pound weight advantage into a bout he described as the biggest the division had seen in 50 years and delivered on his promise to seek a knockout in Las Vegas.

Fury landed huge blows from the first bell and sent Wilder to the canvas in rounds three and four, only for the referee to rule them both slips, and at one point licked his opponent's blood-stained neck.

Mandatory challenger Pulev and IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Joshua were set to step into the ring at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20, but the bout was postponed due to the coronavirus crisis.

WBC champion Fury's next fight is due to be another rematch with Deontay Wilder, yet there has been increasing talk of an all-British unification fight coming first.

Top Rank boss Arum, who represents Bulgarian veteran Pulev and promotes Fury in the United States, dismissed that possibility following his latest conversation with Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn on Saturday.

Arum revealed Joshua and Pulev look likely to do battle outside the United Kingdom later this year.

He told Bad Left Hook: "No step aside for Pulev.

"I talked to Eddie Hearn about Joshua vs Pulev. It looks like it can't be the UK, because there couldn't be spectators.

"There looks like there are a couple other possibilities [for where the fight will take place]. It's probably not gonna take place until later this year. And definitely not the UK.

"Also, for Fury versus Wilder, that's looking like the fourth quarter."

Wilder has not fought since he was beaten by Tyson Fury for a second time in their trilogy fight last October.

Fury knocked the American out in the 11th round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to retain his WBC heavyweight title.

Wilder will end his exile from the ring against Finland's Helenius at Barclays Center in New York.

The 36-year-old American, known as the 'Bronze Bomber', said: "It's been a long journey for me and as of today it continues. I thought so many times about whether I should stay out of the business or come back.

"Once I got my statue in my hometown and saw so many people arrive and celebrate with me and my family, to see all the emotions, grown men crying in front of their children and saying he is a real true king, made me feel like my job is not done.

"So, here I am once again, looking forward to returning to the ring. I am looking forward to coming to Barclays Center, a place where I have had my most devastating knockouts and a place I consider my second home.

"So where all my Bombzquad people at? It's time to put on your war gear. And let's go to work, baby. Bombzquad is back!"

Germany's Bundesliga lead the way last month, with the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A all due to follow suit as European football emerges from its coronavirus hiatus.

Goals will fly in to no applause, much like the tries being run in before empty stands in the NRL. Formula One engines will soon make a howling echo as they pass deserted grandstands.

But what of boxing and it's close-quarters intense combat in the COVID-19 age? Dramatic twists with no fan on the edge or any other part of a seat, knockout blows followed only by the thud of body on canvas and without roars and screams.

So what does a former world heavyweight title challenger think about the prospect of trading leather in an uber-sanitised environment?

"Sweet, sweet, sweet! Because the fans can make your blood pressure go up for no reason," US heavyweight veteran Kevin Johnson told Stats Perform from his base in Gelsenkirchen, the German city where he is undergoing final preparations for taking on Mariusz Wach in his native Poland next Friday.

Top Rank will bring boxing back to Las Vegas earlier in the week, with WBO super-featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson and his fellow 126lbs star Jessie Magdaleno featuring in respective main events.

In the UK, intrigue remains over Eddie Hearn's plans to stage events in the sprawling gardens of his Matchroom HQ, but Wach v Johnson has been slated for some time – confirmed in April as a pay-per-view event. It will set fans back 20 Polish zloty, or a shade under $5.

Palac w Konarach, a hotel in a plush setting that suggests its three-star rating might be selling it a little short, will host the card. It lies remotely in the rural Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship, 100 kilometres north east of Krakow and 230 south of the capital Warsaw.

"We were in negotiations late last year and then there was the corona thing, so we were postponing," Johnson explained.

"Now it's come about. It's going to be under a strategic, surgical eye as far as the methods and precautions that we're going to take in this pandemic.

"It's going to be very different to any show that's been done because of the extremes we have to go to and into for our safety."

Those precautions will include quarantined areas for both fighters at the hotel and on fight night, with tests for everyone allowed into the event – from the referee and judges, to both fighters' teams and camera operators.

Johnson knows that in the current climate, any fans at all being involved was a complete non-starter, especially given a boxing ring walk does not grant the distance from supporters afforded by grandstands in other sports.

"I always worry [about my health] when it comes to a fight," said the former Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua foe. "I'm not worried about the fighter because we test all year round. We are some of the healthiest and cleanest athletes to come into contact with each other.

"I'm more worried about fans who would want to take pictures and grab on you. You're sweaty, your pores are open, you're more susceptible for anything to happen at that moment.

"Now I don’t have to come into contact with anyone but Mariusz and his team over in Poland are taking wonderful, cautious and precise methods to make sure we can perform and come into contact with each other without any of us having anything.

"There will be extra testing to make sure we are 100 per cent and [between then and the fight] we will be isolated to our areas."

Johnson suffered his first career defeat in his 24th outing, challenging the great Vitali Klitschko for the WBC title in 2009. That unanimous points loss in Berne, Switzerland was the first time he had boxed outside of the United States.

The 40-year-old will step between the ropes for the 52nd time against Wach and has only fought on home soil in two of his previous 24 bouts – the last of those coming when he took Andy Ruiz 10 rounds, 11 months before the Mexican underdog stunned Joshua in New York.

This status as a well-travelled road warrior means Johnson knows the challenges of boxing with the crowd against you all too well – a factor he is relishing being taken out of the equation on June 12.

"A guy can throw punches at you and you block them, but the fans didn't see it and they think it landed," he said. "The fans either put some weight on you or they help you with their energy.

"So [Wach] has got to operate clearly off what he knows has landed. It's just me and him and the judges."

Wach's shot at the top honours came in 2012 when he took Wladimir Klitschko the distance.

Although he and Johnson's days among the elite are long gone, the bout between these seasoned campaigners carries a weight it would not have done in normal circumstances. For weeks now, they have been united in a common purpose of solitary togetherness.

"We want the world to know that fights can still happen," Johnson added.

"People don't understand the s*** you have to go through in these times just to train. It's so far-fetched, so far gone.

"This is a time right now where we're both putting our life on the line and it shows the tremendous heart and warrior spirit of two great fighters."

The well-stocked fight card includes amateurs, females, and a professional match-up.  

The Sugar Knockout Gym was also launched at its newest location - the Cling Cling football Oval, home of former Reggae Boy, Ian Pepe Goodison, who is president of the football club and supported the boxing gym taking up residency on the top floor of the clubhouse. 

former boxer Lindel Wallace started the gym in 2008 as a way to give back to the young people in his community. 

"I was a boxer.  I trained at Tinson Pen first then Archmore, then I left from Archmore to go to Liberty Hall on King Street, then I left from Liberty Hall when Liberty Hall was destroyed and went to Race Course at Guinness Gym. Boxing is my life and what I love," Wallace said. 

“Well, I boxed for a couple of years before turning professional.  I love boxing so much that when I was done with it, I said I have to really turn into a coach. The first guys that I trained were (Khamal) Russell, (Dwayne) Rose, and Chad Richards.  Russell came out as a champion.  Chad Richards came out as a champion," he added. 

Regarding the gym's current location, Wallace said, "I feel good about it because for a long time I was asking for a place to call home and now I have it.  I need to improve more with my fighters."  He also said that Digicel, UK-based Jamaican Shania Gordon, and the Jamaica Boxing Association provided financial support to upgrade the gym and equipment to stock it. 

Vice President of the gym Felipe Sanchez spoke about the impact he wants the gym to have on the community.

"I have been involved in boxing in Jamaica for over four years. In total, boxing has been a part of my life for over fifteen years, and coming here to the boxing gym in Suga's Knockout Gym, it’s been wonderful to see the sense of community that has been built,” Sanchez said. 

“The youth has built a sense of pride.  We don't just teach them boxing; we teach them responsibility, so for me to see them grow as persons it brings me a lot of pride. For example, we have a club captain weekly who has to make sure that the gym is clean, the lights are turned off, the water is not running, and that the gloves are all accounted for, so this will help them at the end of the day because if boxing doesn't go well, you have to fall back on something else and the perfect transferable skills that you get from boxing can help you. We want to make champions in the ring and also in life," he added.

President of the Jamaica Boxing Association Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones also shared his thoughts on the developments.

"I am very, very pleased.  Very excited.  We are encouraged by what I saw today, by what we knew would be coming, and by what we know to be coming Saturday,” he said.

“The return of the sport has been long overdue but everything in its time.  What I like most is that the card represents all levels, from the grassroots level to our elite national representative to a pro fight on the same night so the community will see boxing at a very high level.  Most importantly is the return to the sport so this is not a one-off," Jones added. 

He said that the fight card includes eight amateur bouts inclusive of one female matchup, and one pro bout between Jamaica's Headley 'Lights Out' Scott and Mexico's Israel Rojas.  Two of the boxers, one male and one female will come in from the recently launched Top Level Gym in Montego Bay.

Two of the boxers, on the Card,  Jerone Ennis, and Daniel Hylton, will represent Jamaica in the upcoming Commonwealth Games. 

"Going to the Commonwealth Games, this fight is very important to me,” said Ennis.

“This fight will basically be a prep fight.  Not expecting any competition but I have been training hard.  Just come and expect a lot of fireworks from Jerone Ennis," he added. 

 The Mayor of Kingston, His Worship Delroy Williams, Major Jenekie Rowe - boxing officer at the Jamaica Defence Force, and Christopher Samuda - President of the Jamaica Olympic Association attended the launch and endorsed the event. 

"It all started with Lindel.  He has blazed a trail and he has created champions and achievers out of our young people,” Samuda said.

“We believe that young people must have options.  Not everybody is an athlete, not everybody is a footballer or cricketer so we must give our young people options and boxing is a sport that provides a lot of opportunities," he added. 

The Amateur matchups are:

Howard Levy (80 lbs, 10 yrs) vs Alex Grant (90 lbs, 13 yrs)

Tyreek Jackson (112 lbs, 16 yrs) vs Akeem Mignot (120 lbs, 24 yrs)

Damara Bowen (120 lbs, 18 yrs) vs Sharikee Moore (124 lbs, 20 yrs)

Juezier Heron (140 lbs, 23 yrs) vs Daniel Hylton (145 lbs, 22 yrs)

Shaine Blake (156 lbs, 28 yrs) vs Mickel Bernard (155 lbs, 33 yrs)

Renaldo Beckford (175 lbs, 24 yrs) vs Jerone Ennis (175 lbs, 27 yrs)

Kirk Patrick Heron (170 lbs, 26 yrs) vs Tomere Pearson (168 lbs, 25 yrs)

Jordan Blackwood (215 lbs, 16 yrs) vs Alex Walch (210 lbs, 31 yrs)

The Russian survived a special congress vote of the International Boxing Association (IBA) over whether a fresh leadership challenge should take place, with delegates in the Armenian capital of Yerevan voting 106 votes to 36 against the idea.

It meant Dutchman Boris van der Vorst was prevented from challenging Kremlev, as he was in May when he was ruled ineligible after being found to have broken campaign rules, in a decision that was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

With boxing having been dropped from the initial list of sports for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, the latest development appears to signal its likely post-Paris 2024 departure from the Olympic programme.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) originally suspended its recognition for IBA, under its previous guise of AIBA, in 2019 over a series of varying concerns.

Reacting to Sunday's news, the IOC pointed to "disturbing developments" that would be examined at its next meeting.

Kremlev said after the vote that guarantees him a four-year term: "I thank national federations for their trust. This is the full stop in all governance issues within IBA, congress showed its will clearly in a transparent manner.

"I respect the decision of our national federations and will do everything possible to support them, as well as our athletes and coaches. I want to send a clear message today. IBA is an independent and strong organisation. Our congress has proved today that we are on a right track."

The Kremlev-led IBA said on Friday it had suspended the Ukrainian Boxing Federation, citing "interference of the government in the work of the national federation".

The American has said Ruiz, who is also advised by Al Haymon, is top of his shortlist for a fight after the coronavirus pandemic, with Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker the other names in contention.

Breazeale has not fought since being stopped in the first round of his WBC title shot against Deontay Wilder 11 months ago.

His only other career defeat came against Anthony Joshua, the Briton who suffered a stunning loss to Ruiz in 2019 before winning their rematch in Saudi Arabia on points.

Breazeale thinks a bout with Ruiz is one boxing fans would love to see and it may put the winner back in the mix for bouts against the likes of Whyte, Wilder, WBC champion Tyson Fury and WBA, WBO and IBF belt-holder Joshua.

"That's the fight that fans want to see, me and Andy Ruiz," he said to Sky Sports.

"I think it would be a good fit for me, I think it would be a good fit for boxing. I'd love to be able to get that rocking and rolling.

"We like to throw leather and we like to throw it with bad intentions.

"Sometimes we're not going to hold back on risk-taking, so when you get a guy like myself and Andy Ruiz in the ring, you're definitely going to see some fireworks.

"Every time I get in the ring, I'm looking to stop the fight and change the stats, so I would take great glory in giving Andy Ruiz his first professional stoppage."

Breazeale would adopt a similar approach to that deployed by Joshua in December, but ultimately wants a knockout triumph against former unified champion Ruiz.

He added: "Joshua made the adjustments and did what he was supposed to do as the bigger athlete in the ring, boxing his way to winning the titles back. 

"You get a big guy that can use his jab and move around the ring the way that Joshua was doing, a guy in Ruiz's situation doesn't stand a chance.

"That's the same game-plan that I would be taking into the approach of fighting Andy Ruiz, although I'm a fan-pleasing fighter and I'm probably going to go for the knockout at one point."

Briedis received the Muhammad Ali Trophy after defeating Cuban Dorticos on Saturday, with two judges scoring the fight 117-111, while another had it 114-114 in Munich, Germany.

Dorticos (24-2) was the aggressor but Latvian Briedis – a former WBC and WBO champion – landed the more noticeable blows with a number of right uppercuts to dethrone the IBF holder.

"It feels like a dream," said Briedis (27-1), whose only professional defeat has come against Oleksandr Usyk in 2018.

Meanwhile, world champion Josh Taylor retained his WBA and IBF light-welterweight belts thanks to a first-round knockout of Apinun Khongsong.

Taylor's body shot sent the undefeated Thai fighter to the canvas in incredible fashion at York Hall in London.

"I felt it [the punch] sinking in straight away," Taylor told BT Sport. "I didn't know it had hurt him to that extent until I saw him on the floor.

"He [Khongsong] was the heaviest puncher I have ever been in with. I could feel the weight of his power. That switched me on to take my time and be patient.

"It was a great shot but I'd like to have shown what we've been working on in the gym. But you don't get paid overtime. I can go and get a pint and a pizza."

Just under a year on from ripping the Briton's WBA, IBF and WBO belts from him in a unanimous triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Ukrainian retained those titles in hard-fought fashion in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk's second win against his rival reaffirms his place atop the pecking order in the heavyweight division, with Tyson Fury – an obvious contender – again retired for now.

But Joshua did himself no disgrace in defeat, producing a resurgent display to go toe-to-toe throughout in a fight that may quiet questions around his future despite the loss.

The pair warmly embraced after the final bell and together held aloft the Ukrainian flag in a show of solidarity before the scores were read out to confirm Usyk's defence.

While one judge scored the fight 115-113 in Joshua's favour, another had the same result for Usyk, with the third decisively awarding the champion a 116-112 success.

A low-wattage opening showed little between the pair, with Joshua attempting to exert early control through a steadier command of the middle of the ring than he had shown in London last year.

But a livelier start to the fourth from Usyk drew the pair out into a fiercer contest, before a more explosive sixth ratcheted up the tension with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts from both men.

With the fight past the halfway point, it looked as if Joshua could fall away with his struggle to convert low shots – but a blistering combination in the ninth left his opponent backpedaling to the ropes.

Usyk promptly responded, though, and his unerring accuracy just about kept Joshua at bay through an enthralling finale to secure a second successive points triumph.

The 33-year-old former IBF welterweight king was back in action before his adoring Sheffield public for the first time in 14 months and seeking to banish memories of a ragged December 2018 decision win over Australia's Michael Zerafa.

Brook conceded his career at elite level would be finished without impressing against the unheralded DeLuca (24-2) and he cranked through the gears after a cagey opening couple of rounds.

The one-time US Marine was dropped and given an eight count after a crisp Brook uppercut followed precise hooks from both wings. DeLuca's nose was badly bloodied and he was glad to hear the bell at the end of rounds four and five.

Despite belligerently firing back throughout, the sixth was similarly torrid for the visitor before a chopping left lead from his tormentor closed the show in style.

Brook collected the WBO's inter-continental light-middleweight strap and an all-British showdown against the organisation's former champion Liam Smith, who watched from ringside, could be up next.

Brazil's Patrick Teixeira holds the 154lbs WBO title and has a mandatory obligation against Argentina's Brian Castano to negotiate. 

Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) is a huge favourite to retain his WBO welterweight title behind closed doors in the MGM Grand bubble.

Brook, a former world champion at the 147-pound limit, declared he is the shape of his life at the age of 34 and is ready to prove he belongs at the highest level.

The Brit said there will be no thoughts that it is win or bust for him on the big stage when he steps into the ring with an undefeated three-division world champion, yet realises he will have a decision to make on his future if he suffers a third defeat of his career.

Brook told Stats Perform News: "I don't really think about it, but of course if I did lose this fight I'd have to sit down with my family and think about what I'd be doing next, really and truthfully.

"But we honestly believe, and I certainly believe - I know there are people that believe in me, journalists that believe in me - but I'm on about my family and myself.

"I know what I've put myself through in training and where I am at this stage of my career. We believe we're going to win."

Brook (39-2, 27 KOs) feels a blockbuster showdown with Crawford has come at just the right time for him.

The Sheffield native said: "Just because of where I am in my life and I believe that it's come at the perfect time where I'm professional, I'm not cutting corners anymore because there's no room for error.

"It's just come at the perfect stage where I'm disciplined and I know what it takes to be the very best in the world."

Brook decided during lockdown he was going to throw everything at returning to the peak of his powers.

He added: "I think the first lockdown did us all in, didn't it? It did us all in. The first, initial lockdown.

"I just realised that I love competing and I've got much more to give still. So, I wanted to give myself the best opportunity. I've always said, 'we'll start next week, I'll start tightening up next week'.

"But I knew for this one I needed to be from the get-go as tight as possible with everything that I do and I feel amazing now for doing that."

A bitter feud with Khan was settled in Manchester on Saturday as Brook secured a sixth-round stoppage with a powerful and dominant display.

It was the 40th win of Brook's impressive career, with his only three defeats having come against greats of the sport in the shape of Gennady Golovkin, Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford.

Due to turn 36 in May, retirement is an option for Brook but so is a fight against Eubank (32-2), who saw off Liam Williams earlier this month and is prepared to come down to a 158lbs catchweight to secure the fight.

Asked about his future plans, Brook told Sky Sports: "I can walk away [but] Eubank, I don't like Eubank. 

"We could fight Eubank and there are some big fights out there for me.

"If the millions are right, I'll fight. I'm a prizefighter at the end of the day, I've got three beautiful daughters that want that money off me."

Brook had also stated he was open to a bout with Eubank before his tussle with Khan.

"Yeah, if I do continue with the game, why not?" he said prior to the win. "I don't like him and I would like to punch his face in as well."

Eubank Jr. was in attendance for the Brook-Khan battle and made his push for what could be a lucrative fight.

"Me and Kell have beef, we have history," he said. 

"He's said a lot of things about me, he says he wants to kick my head in after this fight, so I want to fight Kell Brook after this."

He added in tweet directed at Brook: "Nice win but let's see if you can fight like that against me."

Alvarez (53-1-2) stepped up to light-heavyweight to beat Sergey Kovalev last November, but it remains to be seen who the Mexican, widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters around, will face next.

Smith - the WBA's super champion at 168 pounds - has been touted as a potential opponent and the undefeated Englishman (27-0) has previously spoken of his desire to face Alvarez.

However, De La Hoya, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, says Smith has failed to back up his talk.

"Callum Smith turned down the fight," De La Hoya told ESPN.

"I wish him all the best. He’s bragging how he wants to fight the best and he turns it down.

"What's wrong with these fighters?"

Beterbiev currently possesses the WBC, WBO and IBF belts and will aim to defend them against challenger Smith in Quebec City.

Two-time Olympian Beterbiev enters the bout with a 100 per cent knockout ratio (19-0, 19 KOs), while Liverpool’s Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) is a former WBA super middleweight world champion.

“I’m excited to finally get my opportunity to become a two-weight world champion,” Smith said.

“I’m no stranger to fighting on away soil, having boxed in Saudi Arabia twice, across America, and now heading to Canada on August 19.

“There was no hesitation from me going to Canada to fight Artur Beterbiev, and I will be returning to Liverpool as a world champion once more.”

Beterbiev added: “Quebec is my second home, so I’m very happy to finally defend my titles on home turf.

“When you are world champion, everyone wants the opportunity to take your belt, and that’s especially true in my case, with three titles at stake.

“I’ve already started my training camp, and I’ll be ready to not only defend my belts, but to also put on an impressive show August 19.”

Benavidez claimed a unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas with scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111.

This was only Plant's second defeat, with the first coming against Alvarez in November 2021.

And that is the man Benavidez hopes to face next, believing he has earned a shot at the undisputed super middleweight champion.

"I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez, but he has to give me that shot now," Benavidez said. "That's what everybody wants to see in September.

"I don't think he's trying to avoid me; I just believe he has a lot of options."

Alvarez is due to defend his belts against John Ryder on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Meanwhile, Benavidez also paid tribute to Plant, saying: "We fought like warriors in the ring, and this guy's a f***ing hell of a fighter.

"I showed defense, head movement and cut the ring really good. I hit him with a lot of hard shots."

A bruised and bloodied Ryder lost by unanimous decision in a heroic effort against one of the world’s best fighters in front of a raucous crowd at Akron Stadium.

The judges scored the fight 120-107 on one card and 118-109 on the other two to improve Canelo’s record to 59-2-2 in his first fight in Mexico since 2011.

Both fighters used the first two rounds to feel each other before a Canelo jab caused blood to pour from Ryder’s nose.

Canelo then knocked down Ryder with a clean one-two in the fourth round and it looked ominous for the 34-year-old from Islington.

But he got back up and fought through the 12 rounds, coping vicious punches throughout the fight while spitting blood from his mouth but held on until the last bell.

Ryder had previously lost five career fights to Billy Joe Saunders, Nick Blackwell, Jack Arnfield, Rocky Fielding, and the most recent being Callum Smith in 2019 by unanimous decision.

The loss ended his four-fight win streak with his record now sitting at 32-6.

The bout between the Mexican superstar and the super-welterweight champion from America is set to take place in Las Vegas on September 30, the two fighters posted on social media.

Alvarez successfully defended his world titles against Britain’s John Ryder on May 6 this year.

The 32-year-old won by unanimous decision in front of more than 50,000 people in Guadalajara, Mexico, improving his overall record to 59-2-2.

Charlo, 33, is currently the undisputed super-welterweight champion, holding the WBO, IBF, WBA and WBC belts having won 35 of his 37 fights with just one loss back in 2018.

Alvarez had previously been linked with a clash against Jermell’s twin brother Jermall, who fights at middleweight level.