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Saunders says money won’t stand in way of GGG

Fighters Network
13
Sep

Billy Joe Saunders claims that finances won’t be a reason he doesn’t face Gennady Golovkin in a possible middleweight unification fight in 2017. “There is no pricing myself out,” Saunders said.

Golovkin put pressure on the WBO titleholder to get into the ring after calling him out following his fifth-round destruction of Kell Brook on Saturday in London. Golovkin and Saunders were in talks earlier this year but Saunders abandoned the negotiations over money, saying he was only offered $1.5 million while others said it was much more.

On Tuesday, Saunders, who has repeatedly called out Golovkin in what few believe is a sincere effort to face him, said that money won’t be an issue the next time they negotiate. Saunders interrupted a question meant for his promoter Frank Warren on a conference call to address the perception he priced himself out of the previous talks.

“There is not no pricing himself out,” Saunders said before launching into a heartfelt explanation. “To get in there, as fighters we want the most we can get. Sometimes you play a waiting game and sometimes it works and sometimes it don’t. But this time around, the English fans know who he is. They know what he brings, so I’m sure they’ll pay to see it and I’m ready to put it on the line but there’s no pricing myself out because to be honest, I’ll fight any man born. Golovkin is a very good man but he’s just a man.”



Warren said he and Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler spoke on Monday during the press conference for Tyson Fury’s rematch with Wladimir Klitschko “and we continue to have dialogue” of a possible fight. Warren referenced the pay channel BoxNation as now having a “pay-per-view platform” as a reason the fight with Golovkin should be able to get made this time because there will be more money in the pot to divvy up.

“The money that was offered wasn’t enough,” Warren said of the talks earlier this year. “That’s the other side of it. Just because someone makes an offer — that doesn’t mean it’s the right offer. Bill didn’t want to fight for that and we felt he should get more money, too. But now (Golovkin) has had the exposure in the UK and I think those numbers are now achievable. Bill only became champion last year,” Warren added. “And he had a hand injury in between.”

Warren cited the WBA’s decision to order Golovkin to face his mandatory Danny Jacobs, a fight that Warren thinks may happen in November. Warren discussed a possible fight between Golovkin and Saunders for February as a target date.

“I’ve told my promoter that I want it,” Saunders said of facing GGG. “I’ve told my manager that I want it. There is absolutely nothing that can get in the way from stopping this. I’ve called him out before. Yes, I’ve put it out there. And now he’s had his fight and I’ve called him out again. There is nothing from stopping this fight on my behalf. I’m ready to fight.”

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