The British Boxing Board of Control has suspended the World Boxing Organization Super Middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders of Welwyn Garden City, England for inappropriate comments he made online during the Coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, Saunders had his boxing license revoked after a video emerged where he was showing people how to “deal with women during the lockdown” according to Ryan Gaydos of FOX News.
According to Ben Morse of CNN, Saunders used a punching bag to show men how to hit their female spouses on the chin if they were giving them “mouth” or attitude. As a result of this inappropriate conduct, the Board has suspended Saunders “pending a hearing.”
It is not yet been announced when or where the hearing will take place. Due to the fact self isolation and social distancing is heavily being promoted in many countries right now, it is very possible that Saunders could face the British Board of Control electronically rather than in person.
Saunders’ next fight was scheduled to be against Canelo Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on May 2. However that fight has been postponed because of Coronavirus. It will be interesting to see if Saunders will automatically lose the WBO Super Middleweight Championship to Alvarez because of his inappropriate actions in this controversial video which has since been taken down.
Since the incident, Saunders has apologized. He said “he would never condone domestic violence,” but the video has got him into deep trouble. Saunders’s promoter Eddie Hearn of London, England is another one of the critics as he called the video “idiotic” and “unacceptable.”
This is not the first time that Saunders has got into trouble. According to BBC Sport, he was fined 100,000 pounds on September 25, 2018 for creating another controversial video in which he offered a woman 150 pounds if she performed a sex act.
As a professional, Saunders has an undefeated record of 29 wins and zero losses. A total of 14 of his professional wins have come via knockout and 15 wins via decision. Saunders initially won the WBO Middleweight Title on December 19, 2015 by beating Andy Lee of Ireland in 12 rounds thanks to a majority decision. He then retained his title by beating Artur Akavov of Russia, Willie Monroe Jr. of Rochester, NY and David Lemieux of Canada.
Saunders became the WBO Super Middleweight champion on May 18, 2019 when he beat Shefat Isufi of Germany in Stevenage, England via a unanimous decision. He then knocked out Marcelo Esteban Coceres of Argentina to successfully defend his super middleweight title at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on November 9, 2019.
Saunders is believed not to currently have a wife or girlfriend. According to The Sun, he does have two children from a prior relationship.
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