Tonight, at the Copper Box Arena, in East London, Billy Joe Saunders defends his WBO middleweight title against the American fighter Willie Monroe Jnr.
Yesterday, at the weigh-in, we witnessed scenes that I?d never seen before.
With the boxers both making the weight, a commotion broke out whereby Billy Joe Saunders son, Stevie, appeared to punch Willie Monroe Jnr in the, for lack of a more appropriate word, balls. Stevie then appeared to aim a kick at the shins of the American challenger as well before calm was restored.
The kerfuffle arose after Frank Warren had put his hands on Stevie?s shoulder before Monroe, in a friendly gesture, ruffled the youngsters hair.
After the commotion had died down, Saunders defended his sons? actions by tweeting,
‘My son’s been taught when a stranger puts their hands on them to punch and run away in self defence.’
Monroe Jnr though was having none of it and had this to say about the affair,
‘Warren should be ashamed of himself.’.
Obviously believing that the whole farcical scene had been stage-managed by Frank Warren.
Although it wasn?t what we?d hoped to see, what happened can only add to Monroe?s desire to become the first boxer to beat Saunders who has won all 24 of his fights.
For the record books both boxers weighed in at 11st 6ib.
It seems an age ago that we witnessed the perfect build-up to a fight, when both Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko showed the ultimate respect for each other.
Billy Joe Saunders Weigh-In Kerfuffle
