Saunders vs Monroe results: Billy Joe Saunders retains WBO title by decision

Billy Joe Saunders retained his WBO middleweight title today in London, outpointing Willie Monroe Jr in something of a dry bout that never really took off, as the styles suggested on paper would be the case.

Saunders won on scores of 115-114, 117-111, and 117-112. BLH scored the fight 115-113, also for Saunders.

Saunders (25-0, 12 KO) was the more physically imposing and willful of the two fighters on the night, as Monroe (21-3, 6 KO) largely stayed on the back foot. The American challenger had his moments in the fight, certainly, including winning the last two on our card, but Saunders did the better work over the majority of the fight, nd was simply a bit too good for his opponent.

After the fight, Saunders offered something of an apology to Monroe for some of the build-up animosity between the two camps, and praised Monroe for giving him a “sturdy test.” Saunders’ young son Stevie also got on the house mic and apologized to Monroe for “punching (him) in the nuts” at yesterday’s weigh-in.