BILLY JOE SAUNDERS was left with FOUR face fractures in defeat to Canelo Alvarez - but it was still not the hardest he has been hit.
The two-division champion has not returned since Canelo handed him a brutal first career loss in May 2021.
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An uppercut in round eight saw Saunders unable to continue after his eye was left black and blue.
But amazingly, the 2008 Olympian claimed David Lemiuex was a harder puncher than the Mexican superstar.
He said on the "Keep A LukeOut" podcast: “I’ll be honest, when I was in there with him, I was expecting so much more.
"I remember being in there, it might have been round five and we were [fighting on the] inside and I remember grabbing him and walking him back.
"I’m not a one-punch knockout man but when it comes to tangling someone up and pushing a pulling, I am very, very good at that, that is one of my best weapons.
"I remember tying him up and pushing him back and I remember thinking ‘you know what, I am just going to put my hand up here’, a bit of kidology like ‘go on, go on [hit me]’.
"I was waiting to get hit like I did against David Lemiuex, when I boxed him, I tested some power on my arm and I thought, ‘F*** me’.
"I’ve never felt anyone punch as hard as he punches.”
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Canelo, 33, would go onto unify the 168lb division as undisputed champion.
He remains king of the super-middleweights having beaten Jermell Charlo, 33, in September.
Meanwhile Saunders, 34, revealed he is preparing for a comeback having returned to training.
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