A carefully worded statement from Frank Warren not only confirms that this month's 02 promotion goes ahead without Billy Joe Saunders but also sharpens the prospect of the Hatfield traveller meeting Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez in an autumn super-fight.
Warren, who expects to offer Martin Murray the consolation of a different opponent on June 23 after Saunders' second withdrawal from their world title fight, says: 'I feel for Martin and the fans but Billy Joe is inured so there's no way he can fight. I've seen rumours that Billy's not injured but he's a fighting man and he would never pull out unless he had to.'
Significantly, though, there is no mention of the Murray fight being rescheduled again, as it was after Saunders sustained a hand injury in April.
Rather, Warren adds: 'This fight would have been Billy's chance to keep momentum as we continue to chase big fights for him.' For that read Canelo or Triple G, as the impasse plaguing purse negotiations for their mega-rematch drags on.
Saunders is the preferred replacement opponent for both Golovkin and Alvarez if they fail to reach an agreement somewhere between the 65-35 per cent deal demanded by the Mexico idol and the 50-50 split expected by the Kazakh knockout artist.
Relations worsened at the weekend as Golovkin's trainer Abel Sanchez labelled Canelo 'a diva' and backed his man's insistence on being better compensated for Alvarez causing the cancellation of their May 5 fight by twice testing positive for the banned drug clenbuterol.
Canelo pleaded innocent by claim of unknowingly eating contaminated beef in Mexico in February but Golovkin joined the chorus accusing him of being a drugs cheat and he was eventually suspended for six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and agreed to year-round testing.
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Warren, who expects to offer Martin Murray the consolation of a different opponent on June 23 after Saunders' second withdrawal from their world title fight, says: 'I feel for Martin and the fans but Billy Joe is inured so there's no way he can fight. I've seen rumours that Billy's not injured but he's a fighting man and he would never pull out unless he had to.'
Significantly, though, there is no mention of the Murray fight being rescheduled again, as it was after Saunders sustained a hand injury in April.
Saunders is the preferred replacement opponent for both Golovkin and Alvarez if they fail to reach an agreement somewhere between the 65-35 per cent deal demanded by the Mexico idol and the 50-50 split expected by the Kazakh knockout artist.
Relations worsened at the weekend as Golovkin's trainer Abel Sanchez labelled Canelo 'a diva' and backed his man's insistence on being better compensated for Alvarez causing the cancellation of their May 5 fight by twice testing positive for the banned drug clenbuterol.
Canelo pleaded innocent by claim of unknowingly eating contaminated beef in Mexico in February but Golovkin joined the chorus accusing him of being a drugs cheat and he was eventually suspended for six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and agreed to year-round testing.
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