Billy Joe Saunders' retirement against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez explained: Trainers Ben Davison and Mark Tibbs reveal what happened
Billy Joe Saunders “felt there was hesitation in the corner” in the moments before he was pulled out of his fight against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, says Ben Davison.
Mark Tibbs was Saunders’ head coach and Davison was assisting in the corner of the world super-middleweight title unification fight, which Canelo won in eight rounds by inflicting a broken orbital bone.
Tibbs has suggested Davison stepped out of line in his communication with Saunders after the injury was sustained. Davison has now called Tibbs’ social media comments “unprofessional”.
"IT'S UNPROFESSIONAL… BUT WILL BE CLARIFIED"?@BenDavison_ told Toe2Toe his side of the Saunders Canelo fight and the corner's decision to retire him☝️
?Listen to the full show NOW: https://t.co/x0ja0vcHYV ? pic.twitter.com/HAQl1XDBaM
Davison told Sky Sports: “Billy Joe put out a statement which said: ‘Ben got the corner to pull [him out of the fight].’
“What he meant, and I’m sure he will clarify that, is that he felt there was hesitation in the corner.
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“I whispered in his ear.
“In a situation like that, you don’t leave it down to the fighter. Someone has to take the bull by the horns.
“I said to Billy Joe: ‘The fight is going to get pulled.’
“That’s why he shook his head and said: ‘No’. As any fighter would do.
“Mark then waved the fight off.
“It’s unprofessionalism how all of this has come about.”
Davison explained his presence in Saunders’ corner: “I was asked and approached. When the fight first came about, Billy Joe came to my gym and asked my thoughts.
“I was asked to do some sessions with him in Las Vegas which I obliged.
“I was then asked to assist in the corner which I obliged.
“In the corner Mark would often ask: ‘Ben, what do you think?’
“That’s why I was seen to be vocal at times.”
Clarification on my corner work #9thMayDallas #SaundersAlvarez pic.twitter.com/45q32o0SEo
Tibbs, Saunders’ head trainer, previously said: “Ben Davison was not in our training camp.
“He came about in the last week while we were winding down.
“During the round that Billy Joe got injured, I briefed my corner team that his eye was injured. I got a towel in case I needed it.
“As Billy Joe walked towards me at the end of the round I looked directly into his eyes. We had a little bit of dialogue, between us.
“As he sits down in the corner, Ben got control and blew down his ear-hole!
“I let him have 20 seconds because I knew what I was about to do.
“I waved the fight off as Billy Joe’s trainer and head coach.”
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