Billy Joe Saunders says he’s received death threats for video advising men ‘how to hit women’ despite apology
by Editor 2019
World super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders says he has received death threats online in the wake of his social media video advising men “how to hit women” during the UK lockdown, and questioning whether his background resulted in the fierce backlash he received.
Saunders has been widely condemned for his comments made in a video that he has claimed was supposed to be a joke, but which appeared to condone domestic violence.
There are serious concerns that partners who are in domestically abusive relationship may find themselves trapped during the nation’s coronavirus lockdown, which only added to the criticism levelled at 30-year-old Saunders after be posted a video instructing men how to use boxing skills to hit women if they irritate them while at home together.
Saunders apologised on Sunday, but after being labelled “idiotic” by his promoter Eddie Hearn on Monday morning, the boxer issued a fresh apology and confirmed that he will donate £25,000 to a domestic violence charity. He did however question why he received such a strong backlash when comedians who make offensive jokes do not, and revealed that he had received death threats on top of the criticism that made him question whether his background was the reason for this.
“I am getting a lot of hate mail wishing me dead, wishing my family and my kids dead,” Saunders, who is of a gypsy background, told Talksport. “I haven’t got another half but I have got a daughter and if anyone did that (what was suggested in the video) to my daughter I would hurt them bad, to be honest.
“I would never use my profession outside the ring but if anyone touched a finger on my daughter I would literally go all hell loose on them. Whatever I have got in my body.
“In other circumstances, and I don’t condone what I said, but you get comedians taking the mickey out of people’s disabilities etc, it was very silly but you don’t see any other people targeted. Is it because of my background, people jump more on it because I’ve done some stuff in the past?
“I am who I am, I am not going to say I will never make another mistake in my life. I don’t intentionally mean to make these mistakes, I didn’t have a very good education.
“I am not intentionally causing the public any harm at all. I only put it out because I thought it was a laugh, clearly it wasn’t.”
Shape Created with Sketch.February top 10 pound-for-pound boxers in the world
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Shape Created with Sketch.February top 10 pound-for-pound boxers in the world
1/16 Who is the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world?
The ranking of The Independent’s 10 best male boxers on the planet. Take a look through to see who comes out on top.
Getty Images
2/16 On the rise: Anthony Joshua
Joshua recaptured his world heavyweight titles in dominant fashion, but in a new manner for the Briton: boxing beautifully off the back foot. He is now back in the mix, even if he is just behind Wilder and Fury, to be considered the best heavyweight in the world. All three are just on the outside of our list though until they fight each other
AP
3/16 On the rise: Deontay Wilder
Nobody can deny he has a claim as the most powerful puncher pound-for-pound, but despite wiping out Luis Ortiz, the Bronze Bomber needs to beat Tyson Fury clearly to justify a place inside the top 10 here
EPA
4/16 In the mix: Tyson Fury
Like Joshua and Wilder before, with a legitimate case to be the No 1 heavyweight in the world, Fury is just on the outside of our top 10 – if he manages to comprehensively beat Wilder – staying away from that big right hand for the full 12 rounds – he will be the first of the trio to leap back inside the top 10
Getty Images
5/16 On the rise: Josh Taylor (16-0)
Josh Taylor’s win over Regis Prograis to win the WBSS at 140 pounds was a massive statement – he’ll need to become the undisputed light welterweight champion by beating Jose Ramirez to make his place inside the top 10 indisputable
Getty Images
6/16 On the rise: Miguel Berchelt (37-1)
Miguel Berchelt smashed Jose Sosa to pieces inside four rounds to defend his WBC super featherweight title – now 37-1 and undefeated since 2014 with 16 consecutive wins and six straight defences
AFP via Getty Images
7/16 10. Juan Francisco Estrada (39-3-0)
The two-weight world champion grabbed the lineal super flyweight title against Sor Rungvisai to snatch his pound-for-pound status and the WBC gold.
Getty Images
8/16 9. Mikey Garcia (39-1-0)
Despite coming up short against Errol Spence in their welterweight bout, Garcia is still a modern great as a four-weight world champion.
Getty Images
9/16 8. Gennady Golovkin (39-1-1)
Despite suffering the first loss of his career against Canelo Alvarez, Golovkin’s stellar career keeps him in our rankings. The boxing legend is now a two-time world champion.
Getty Images
10/16 7. Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2)
The Filipino looked sensational to outpoint Keith Thurman, flooring the American and rolling back the years at 40 years old to confirm himself as the No 3 welterweight in the world at worst. Considering the illustrious names on his resume, a place inside the top 10 pound-for-pound list and a world class win this year confirms his place here.
AP
11/16 6. Errol Spence (26-0-0)
Spence beat Shawn Porter to unify the welterweight division as he goes in search of more belts. Danny Garcia looks set to be next.
Getty Images
12/16 5. Oleksandr Usyk (17-0-0)
The undisputed, undefeated, unified cruiserweight world champion has successfully moved up in weight, beating Chazz Witherspoon on his heavyweight debut.
Getty Images
13/16 4. Naoya Inoue (19-0-0)
The man nicknamed the ‘monster’ beat Nonito Donaire to win the World Boxing Super Series and move to 19-0 after a hard fought battle.
Getty Images
14/16 3. Terence Crawford (35-0-0)
Another three-weight world champion, Crawford enters our top three and reaffirmed his place as one of the sport’s greats after a knockout win against Amir Khan.
Getty Images
15/16 2. Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2)
One loss and a whole heap of controversy but Canelo’s record is one to be celebrated, a now four-weight world champion and still not even 30 years of age. The biggest star in the sport and an impressive KO win of Sergey Kovalev cements his standing, arguably has a claim to the throne, but he just misses out here.
USA TODAY Sports
16/16 1. Vasyl Lomachenko (14-1-0)
There can only be one. The king of the amateur game has stepped up to become the king of the professionals. Just 15 fights into his career and despite one career defeat, the current unified lightweight world champion sets records for days.
Loma won a world title in his third fight, became a two-weight champion in his seventh, and a three-weight champion in his twelfth fight. The king.
Less magic against a brave Luke Campbell, but more brutality, slashing body shots and exquisite balance and movement. Who’s next? Commey, Lopez, Davis?
Getty Images
1/16 Who is the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world?
The ranking of The Independent’s 10 best male boxers on the planet. Take a look through to see who comes out on top.
Getty Images
2/16 On the rise: Anthony Joshua
Joshua recaptured his world heavyweight titles in dominant fashion, but in a new manner for the Briton: boxing beautifully off the back foot. He is now back in the mix, even if he is just behind Wilder and Fury, to be considered the best heavyweight in the world. All three are just on the outside of our list though until they fight each other
AP
3/16 On the rise: Deontay Wilder
Nobody can deny he has a claim as the most powerful puncher pound-for-pound, but despite wiping out Luis Ortiz, the Bronze Bomber needs to beat Tyson Fury clearly to justify a place inside the top 10 here
EPA
4/16 In the mix: Tyson Fury
Like Joshua and Wilder before, with a legitimate case to be the No 1 heavyweight in the world, Fury is just on the outside of our top 10 – if he manages to comprehensively beat Wilder – staying away from that big right hand for the full 12 rounds – he will be the first of the trio to leap back inside the top 10
Getty Images
5/16 On the rise: Josh Taylor (16-0)
Josh Taylor’s win over Regis Prograis to win the WBSS at 140 pounds was a massive statement – he’ll need to become the undisputed light welterweight champion by beating Jose Ramirez to make his place inside the top 10 indisputable
Getty Images
6/16 On the rise: Miguel Berchelt (37-1)
Miguel Berchelt smashed Jose Sosa to pieces inside four rounds to defend his WBC super featherweight title – now 37-1 and undefeated since 2014 with 16 consecutive wins and six straight defences
AFP via Getty Images
7/16 10. Juan Francisco Estrada (39-3-0)
The two-weight world champion grabbed the lineal super flyweight title against Sor Rungvisai to snatch his pound-for-pound status and the WBC gold.
Getty Images
8/16 9. Mikey Garcia (39-1-0)
Despite coming up short against Errol Spence in their welterweight bout, Garcia is still a modern great as a four-weight world champion.
Getty Images
9/16 8. Gennady Golovkin (39-1-1)
Despite suffering the first loss of his career against Canelo Alvarez, Golovkin’s stellar career keeps him in our rankings. The boxing legend is now a two-time world champion.
Getty Images
10/16 7. Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2)
The Filipino looked sensational to outpoint Keith Thurman, flooring the American and rolling back the years at 40 years old to confirm himself as the No 3 welterweight in the world at worst. Considering the illustrious names on his resume, a place inside the top 10 pound-for-pound list and a world class win this year confirms his place here.
AP
11/16 6. Errol Spence (26-0-0)
Spence beat Shawn Porter to unify the welterweight division as he goes in search of more belts. Danny Garcia looks set to be next.
Getty Images
12/16 5. Oleksandr Usyk (17-0-0)
The undisputed, undefeated, unified cruiserweight world champion has successfully moved up in weight, beating Chazz Witherspoon on his heavyweight debut.
Getty Images
13/16 4. Naoya Inoue (19-0-0)
The man nicknamed the ‘monster’ beat Nonito Donaire to win the World Boxing Super Series and move to 19-0 after a hard fought battle.
Getty Images
14/16 3. Terence Crawford (35-0-0)
Another three-weight world champion, Crawford enters our top three and reaffirmed his place as one of the sport’s greats after a knockout win against Amir Khan.
Getty Images
15/16 2. Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2)
One loss and a whole heap of controversy but Canelo’s record is one to be celebrated, a now four-weight world champion and still not even 30 years of age. The biggest star in the sport and an impressive KO win of Sergey Kovalev cements his standing, arguably has a claim to the throne, but he just misses out here.
USA TODAY Sports
16/16 1. Vasyl Lomachenko (14-1-0)
There can only be one. The king of the amateur game has stepped up to become the king of the professionals. Just 15 fights into his career and despite one career defeat, the current unified lightweight world champion sets records for days.
Loma won a world title in his third fight, became a two-weight champion in his seventh, and a three-weight champion in his twelfth fight. The king.
Less magic against a brave Luke Campbell, but more brutality, slashing body shots and exquisite balance and movement. Who’s next? Commey, Lopez, Davis?
Getty Images
Promoter Hearn criticised Saunders for acting without thinking too often, claiming that his way in life is to take “one step forward, four steps back” after spending the day supporting the National Health Service for their work in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Saunders appeared to agree with Hearn’s assessment, and said he realised how people could see the offence caused by the video only after it was posted online.
“I said it as a bit of a joke at first. I wasn’t obviously thinking. It was a silly mistake but I didn’t mean to cause any harm to anyone and I certainly wouldn’t promote domestic violence.
“I think if it is took out of the gesture of what it was meant to be and out into something else then yeah I can clearly see (the offence) but when someone is only looking at it as a joke when we are all locked away.
“I thought I would make a few people laugh but obviously it has flipped on the other side with people.”
WBO super middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders
He added: “Clearly (nobody laughed) but I didn’t mean for anyone to get upset about it. There are people dying all around the world with coronavirus and I was just trying to take the heat off that a little bit.
“It clearly hasn’t done, my sense of humour is not everyone’s cup of tea.
“I can only take it back and apologise, I will be donating £25,000 to support the domestic violence charity. It was a silly thing to do but it has been done and I can’t take it back.
“It wasn’t meant to be suggesting ‘go and hit your wife and your loved ones’. It wasn’t really done for social media likes, it was done out of pure careless thought.
“Everyone has an opinion. I am a very straight, honest person, I don’t beat around the bush. I am who I am. I didn’t mean to clearly cause any harm to anyone.”