BILLY JOE SAUNDERS is training in Thailand as he targets a return to the ring.

The southpaw two-weight world champion has not boxed since he was stopped by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May 2021 in what was his first defeat as a professional.

Last summer, the 35-year-old suggested he was plotting a comeback and revealed that a long-awaited rematch with old rival Chris Eubank Jr could be on the cards. He said that ‘heavy talks’ had taken place about the pair facing each other once again, more than a decade on from their clash at the ExCel Arena, which Saunders won narrowly on points.

However, that rematch never materialized with Eubank now preparing to face Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26.

And Saunders, who held the WBO title at both middleweight and super-middle during his career, also seemed no closer to the comeback he had discussed.

But now footage has emerged of Saunders back in training at the Apollo Champ in Phuket, which is described as ‘Thailand’s No.1 boxing training camp’. It is understood that the 30-1 (14) Englishman is hoping to fight again this year.

Footage posted on Apollo’s Instagram page showed Saunders back in training at their facility alongside 34-year-old heavyweight Senad Gashi. Saunders has been in camp in Thailand for a little over a month already and The Ring understands he will continue his training there until his return to the UK in April.

Gashi, who is 33-4 (32), said: “He’s on his way back. He is one of the best middleweights in history and I’ve watched all his fights. He is a legend. [Training with him] is just unbelievable.”

Saunders was the WBO champion when he was stopped after eight rounds by Canelo, who broke his opponent’s orbital with a trademark uppercut at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas.

It meant that Canelo added the WBO strap to his WBA and WBC belts before he completed the set by stopping then IBF-champion Caleb Plant in Las Vegas six months later.