Billy Joe Saunders Could Be Forced To Retire After Crushing Canelo Punch

BYAlexander Cole29.1K Views
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Billy Joe Saunders
Billy Joe Saunders reportedly had his cheekbone caved in by the winning punch.

Canelo Alvarez was able to stop Billy Joe Saunders in the eighth round on Saturday in their Middleweight fight. While the fight was fairly competitive for the first eight rounds, it was clear that Canelo had all of the power and stamina in the world, and he wasn't going to let himself get beat. Alvarez dealt a massive punch to Saunders' right eye and in between rounds, Saunders' team threw in the towel and the match was stopped on the spot.

Afterward, Saunders was taken to the hospital where it was revealed he would have to get surgery on his eye socket. At the time, promoter Eddie Hearn said Saunders had some big decisions to make moving forward, although according to Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, Saunders might just have to call it a career.

Billy Joe Saunders Could Be Forced To Retire After Crushing Canelo Punch
Al Bello/Getty Images

Essentially, Saunders suffered a quadripod fracture and he even had his orbital bone smashed in. These injuries were way worse than originally reported and his cheekbone was in a complete state of disarray. As for the surgery, no updates have been given just yet, although we're sure his team will be updating fans soon.

Needless to say, Canelo's punching power can do a lot of damage and when you're dealing with the eye, it is always a sensitive area. Hopefully, Saunders is able to fully recover from such a devastating injury.

[Via]


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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