Billy Joe Saunders vows to return after successful surgery on ‘broken eye socket and cheek bone’

The previously unbeaten Briton suffered a serious injury to his eye after a brutal uppercut from his Mexican opponent in the eighth round before failing to come out for the ninth round

Billy Joe Saunders produced a brave showing in front of more than 70,000 fans in Texas (Getty Images)

Billy Joe Saunders has vowed to return after revealing his surgery went well following the damaging defeat to Canelo Alvarez in Dallas last weekend.

Saunders sustained “multiple fractures” to the area around his eye as a result of a crushing uppercut from the Mexican.

Saunders was stopped in the eighth round of the super-middleweight unification bout at AT&T Stadium and was swiftly taken to hospital after the fight, but the Briton has now shared the latest on his condition.

“Thanks to everyone for the messages. Broken eye socket and cheek bone in three places. Operation yesterday all went well,” the 31-year-old said on Facebook.

“You win some and lose some didn’t feel out my league but got caught with a good shot. and couldn’t see and Ben got the corner to pull it.

“Thank you to all who watched, I’ll be back, god bless you all,” Saunders added.

Saunders was down on all three scorecards when the fight ended but had boxed well at times in a valiant showing against the Mexican superstar.

Speaking immediately after the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn said: “He couldn’t see. I spoke to [Saunders’ trainer] Mark Tibbs, he said he couldn’t see and he wouldn’t let him go out. He busted his eye socket.”