Billy Joe Saunders apologises for video advising men how to hit female partners during coronavirus lockdown

WBO super middleweight world champion hit a punchbag while describing how to ‘hit her on the chin’ and then ‘finish her off’

British WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders has issued an apology after a video emerged of him giving advice to men on how to hit their female partners during the coronavirus lockdown.

Footage showed the 30-year-old working out on a punchbag while talking about how to react if “your old woman is giving you mouth” and “she’s coming at you, spitting a bit of venom in your face”.

The boxer then continued to hit the punchbag while describing how to “hit her on the chin” and then “finish her off”.

Saunders quickly apologised for “offending any women” after a fierce backlash on social media.

“I would never condone domestic violence and if I saw a man touch a woman I would smash him to pieces myself,” Saunders said in a post on Twitter. “Apologies if I offended any women, stay blessed.”

It is the boxer’s second public apology in a fortnight after it was revealed he made a call to an airline, alleging concerns over a potential coronavirus infection, which caused his coach Ben Davison and fellow world champion Josh Taylor to be removed from the flight.

Saunders, who was close to agreeing a multi-million-pound bout against Canelo Alvarez in May before the coronavirus pandemic, has had a long history with controversy and was fined £100,000 by the British Board of Boxing Control after video footage emerged of him appearing to offer a woman drugs in October 2018.

A video showed Saunders offering £150 worth of drugs to the woman to perform a sex act, as well as asking her to punch a passer-by, before driving away.