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Nick Parkinson
Martin Murray believes Billy Joe Saunders faked injury to pull out of fighting him on June 23.
Saunders postponed a scheduled defence of his WBO world middleweight title against English rival Murray for a second time after claiming a hamstring injury earlier this month.
But Gennady Golovkin’s camp revealed earlier this week that Saunders was ready to face the WBC-WBA champion in late August.
However, Kazakhstan’s California-based Golovkin instead agreed terms to face Mexican Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in a rematch on September 15.
Murray, 35, is left to face Mexican Roberto Garcia at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday (June 23) and is seething with Saunders.
“It was definitely a fake injury,” Murray told ESPN. “I knew that the first time he pulled out when we were supposed to be fighting April 14, then he did it again for June 23.
“He messaged me and said he wasn’t ready the first time, then there was a new date and he was supposed to be training in Fuerteventura, but he was never going to fight me.
“With him doing that just shows the type of person he is. I wouldn’t lead people on like that.
“I went away to Tenerife for both training camps, so I lost time with the family which I will never get back but that’s what happens when you’re trying to do a deal with a d*** head.
“He didn’t have an injury, he wasn’t in the gym, he was hoping to fight Golovkin instead in August, but I don’t think he’s got the balls to fight Golovkin or Canelo.
“I don’t think Golovkin will be that bothered about fighting Saunders now because he will not be able to unify the four belts.”