Hatfield boxer looks set for an April bout as he gears up for world title shot in the summer

Billy Joe Saunders looks set to make his America debut at the world famous Madison Square Garden in April in what would be his last fight ahead of a probable world title shot in July.

It was announced this week that the Hatfield boxer, who is the WBO World Middleweight mandatory title challenger and number one ranked contender, has stepped aside to allow world champion Andy Lee to make a voluntary title defence against Peter Quillin.

That match up was expected to be in New York, with Saunders rumoured to be on the undercard, and Saunders has now taken to social media to confirm that his next fight will be at Madison Square Garden.

“My next fight will be in Madison Square Garden ) stepped aside to let lee fight qwillan ‘ I get the winner in July ‘bissnes,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

He also confirmed that the date of his next bout would be April 11.

Saunders marked his arrival among the elite of the middleweight division with his victory over arch-rival Chris Eubank Jnr. in November.

More than 50 world title bouts have been fought at ‘the Garden’ through the decades, with boxers such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson having fought at the venue down the years.