WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders set to announce next opponent

Billy Joe Saunders hopes to kick off an injury-free year with a game-changing fight which could be announced as early as next week.

The Hertfordshire southpaw was far from his best in last month's bout with Artur Akavov as he made the first successful defence of his WBO middleweight belt, almost a year after beating Andy Lee to land the title.

"I'm the first to admit my last performance was terrible," Saunders told Sky Sports.

"What I really need to do and I want I really want to do this year is stay active. I'm in great shape and now I'm ready to rock and roll this year.

"I have a big, big fight coming up next and it's a fight the fans will genuinely love although it looks as though I will have to travel. We just need to sit down and finalise a couple of small details and then it will be finished.

"I've been waiting for this big fight for a long time - since I won the world title at the end of 2015 - and I hope it will be a game-changer for me."

Saunders (24-0-0) is now part of Adam Booth's growing stable of fighters, which includes 2015 Boxing Writers' Club Young Boxer of the Year Mitchell Smith, recently-crowned British bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett, and former opponent Lee.

Booth co-trained former foe Chris Eubank Jr for two fights in 2015 and Saunders is confident the south Londoner can help take his career to the next level.

"I'm very excited to be working with Adam Booth who is a very, very good trainer," Saunders added.

"Skills pay the bills and I'm sure he'll bring all of them out of me."