Billy Joe Saunders was once again out to please the crowd in the midst of his relatively comfortable victory against Shefat Isufi on Saturday night.The highlight of the fight was Saunders’ throwback to his 2017 fight with David Lemieux. It has become quite a trademark move of Saunders to make his opponent miss (rather embarrassingly) and then look to the crowd with his glove raised to his brow as if to say… ‘Where did the punch go?’It was that fight nearly a year-and-a-half ago that announced Saunders as a fighter.As he did against Lemieux, Saunders danced around a combination thrown by Isufi who failed to connect with a single one of the three punches.Saunders didn’t even break concentration after his showboating and connected with a succession of successful uppercuts right before the bell had sounded for the end of round 3.

It certainly went down a treat with some 2,000 Saunders supporters at the Stevenage FC stadium who were no doubt all there in support of the local fighter who lives close by.

A roar of appreciation and laughter followed the trademark taunt of Saunders who was actually rocked just three rounds later.

It was a fight that Saunders wouldn’t particularly have wanted but definitely needed. The fan favourite failed to knock-out his opponent placed at 100-1 but showed a level of class and technical ability in a match he certainly had to adapt to.

The first half of the fight was emphatic and quite brilliant to watch. Saunders was comfortable and attacked Isufi relentlessly. His power and pace were something to behold as the Englishman threw a plethora of engineered combinations that rocked his opponent.

After being staggered himself at the half-way point though, Saunders had to show a different side to his boxing game. The second half of the fight highlighted a much more elusive and defensive style that ensured his WBO world super-middleweight title victory.

The change in style earned Saunders a unanimous points decision- 120-108, 117-11 and 118-110 and he is now a two-weight world champion.