To the Max: Why Billy Joe Saunders Cannot Afford to Slip Up in His Title Defence

After aiming for the stars (of the middleweight division), WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders has ended up falling back down to earth with a bump. A bump named Max Bursak.

Saunders' first defence of the world title he claimed from Andy Lee in December 2015 is not one to whip up boxing fans into a state of excitement. It is a "meh" fight. Yes, meh—the verbal version of shrugging your shoulders to show indifference.

There had been serious talk of facing Gennady Golovkin or a rematch with Chris Eubank Jr.

Instead, the southpaw has to settle for a date with a Ukrainian who has yet to prove he belongs at the highest level. But, while it may not set pulses racing, it still matters in the grand scheme of things.

The experienced Bursak (32-4-1, 15 KOs) has come up against English opponents before in his pro career.

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In 2013, he defeated Prince Arron on points to pick up the European title at 160 pounds. The Tiger went on to tame Nick Blackwell—the current British champion—later in the same year, too.

However, he came up short against Martin Murray, a man who knows a thing or two about world-title heartache after failing in his four (yes, four) attempts to win a major belt.

The 31-year-old from Kiev also lost to Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam in an attempt to become interim WBO champion in 2012.

Bursak's record does not suggest the unbeaten Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) will have too many sleepless nights before they go toe-to-toe at the Copper Box Arena in London on April 30.

That doesn't mean the champion isn't going to take Bursak seriously though, per Declan Warrington of the Press Association (h/t Mail Online):

"

I'm not looking at it as a warm-up or anything—this is a world-title fight—I'll be using it for one as a training camp, getting into shape, and two for more ring time.

Khan and Canelo are fighting soon, you've got Nick Blackwell and Eubank (fighting each other), and you've got Golovkin (defending his WBA and IBF titles against Dominic Wade on April 23), but I spoke to Frank last week and said I would like the Golovkin fight in the summer.

I'm trying to be up there with your [Joe] Calzaghes and Ricky Hattons, that's the ultimate goal.

"

While Saunders remains focused on the job in hand, members of the boxing community are not taking the choice of opponent so seriously.

ESPN's boxing expert Dan Rafael was particularly critical of the move on Twitter:

In his article for ESPN.com about the fight, Rafael stated Saunders was "taking the path of least resistance." Despite fighters getting punched for a living, sometimes stinging criticism from outside the ring hurts the most.

Rafael's gripe, as can be seen in his series of tweets, is over the Englishman now talking up the possibility of facing Golovkin in the summer, despite previously rejecting an offer to fight his fellow world champion.

Saunders was initially keen on a unification showdown, per Isaac Robinson of SkySports.com. However, it quickly became clear that the two sides weren't going to work out a deal.

Golovkin's manager, Oleg Hermann, said, per SkySports.com: "We made an offer to fight in April. But frankly I can't take Saunders and his team serious and I don't believe the fight is going to happen."

It didn't happen. GGG has moved on—he will defend his IBF, WBA and interim WBC belts on April 23 against Dominic Wade, an opponent ranked inside the top 10 by all three of the organisations, per FightNews.com.

A week later, Saunders will face Bursak, who is ranked No. 11 by the WBO.

While Golovkin presented a high-risk, high-reward opportunity, a second clash with domestic rival Eubank Jr.—who Saunders recorded a split-decision win over in November 2014—offered a lucrative alternative.

But, once again, negotiations proved to be difficult.

Frank Warren, Saunders' promoter, revealed the major stumbling block at Monday's press conference, according to BoxNation: "They [Eubank Jr.'s team] don't fancy the fight! He's fighting for the British and not the world title that tells you all you need to know."

Journalist Declan Taylor revealed via Twitter the numbers that had been on offer:

Golovkin should be the top target for any middleweight worth his salt. The unbeaten 33-year-old from Kazakhstan holds a plethora of titles and is a big draw in the United States. Facing him would at least be a profitable experience, even if it also ends up being a painful one as well.

Yet the winner of the bout between Blackwell and Eubank Jr.—which takes place on March 26 at Wembley Arena in London—would be a good earner for Saunders in Britain.

There is also the possibility of facing whoever comes out on top between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Amir Khan, who meet in Las Vegas on May 7.

For now, though, the WBO champion has to forget about what might have been—and what possibly could be on the cards for his future—and just focus on what is definitely coming up next.

Bursak is not the big name that many wanted to see the 26-year-old go up against, but that does not mean Saunders can overlook the challenger.

After working so hard to win a world title, Saunders must do all he can to hang onto it.