KSI vs Logan Paul: Billy Joe Saunders completes flat stoppage victory over Marcelo Esteban Coceres
- Englishman completes 11th round TKO win against stubborn Argentine
Billy Joe Saunders produced a flat performance but a victory nonetheless against Argentina’s Marcelo Esteban Coceres in Los Angeles on Saturday night to retain his unbeaten record and the WBO super middleweight title.
It was a performance that will have done little to convince US kingmakers that the Englishman deserves a superbout against Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez, but he produced a classy finish delivering a stinging uppercut that put the Argentine on the canvas for the third time in round 11.
Boos rang out midway through the 10th round of a poor fight in which Caceres (28-1-1), a massive underdog with bookmakers, gave Saunders an unexpectedly difficult night.
In the end, Saunders (29-0) found enough to wrap up what was supposed to be a routine outing just in time, but he admitted it was far from an impressive performance from the inconsistent 30-year-old.
“There’s no excuse,” said Saunders, who was making his US debut, “that performance is not worthy of a Canelo, a Daniel Jacobs or any other big name.
“Everything was off tonight ... there was no jab working, no back hand. It was like I was dipped in glue. There was something missing tonight.”