Billy Joe Saunders calls out Eamonn O’Kane

BILLY Joe Saunders has targeted a summer bout with Derry favourite Eamonn O’Kane.

The former Olympian and undefeated middleweight was hoping for a lucrative rematch with Chris Eubank Jr before evoking his WBO World title mandatory status and for Limerick’s Andy Lee’s belt in the Autumn.

However, agreeing terms with Eubank seems to be proving difficult for the Frank Warren promoted southpaw and as a result he is looking at a possible clash with IBF world ranked Irish middleweight O’Kane.

Saunders wants to get a fight in before he challenges Lee and see’s O’Kane as plausible foe.

“I might even consider at the end of June having a little fight and bringing a good name over,” said Saunders.

“Paddy Fitzpatrick tweeted me the other day about Eamonn O’Kane. So maybe I could get him over for a fight. I don’t want to fight a complete bum. I want to fight someone who has got a bit of a name and I think this fella can have a little bit of a fight. So it would be interesting. It’ll be a good fight,” added Saunders.

O’Kane, who has also been linked with Gary O’Sullivan and Hassan N’Dam, and Saunders have one common foe. They both fought John Ryder with differing results, O’Kane was stopped by the Londoner after taking a late notice clash, while Saunders out pointed the fighter of Irish heritage.