Mark Tibbs, head trainer of former two-division world champion Billy Joe Saunders, believes that it's going to be 'very tough' for his boxer to come back from last Saturday's loss to Canelo Alvarez.

Saunders suffered the first defeat of his pro career when he was stopped in the eight round of his three belt super middleweight unification with Canelo.

Over 73,000 fans packed the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas to watch the event.

During the eight round, Canelo landed an uppercut that fractured the orbital bone of Saunders' right eye.

When Saunders went back to his corner, he advised his team that his vision was impaired in the right eye - which forced Tibbs to stop the fight before the start of the eight round.

Afterwards, Saunders was taken to a local hospital and underwent surgery.

It will take months for the injury to fully heal.

However, Tibbs believes that it could take even longer for Saunders to fully recover on a mental level.

"It's going to be a very, very tough time emotionally for Billy Joe. He comes from the community he comes from and they are a very proud people and it is just going to be very tough," Tibbs told Talk Sport.

"Listen, how he has to got to look at it as he went against a pound-for-pound great in Canelo Alvarez and he put up a good fight against him. He put up a good fight until he got his eye damaged with one punch, so that turned the fight around. It's going to be tough for Billy Joe and he has a good family around him and good support with his friends. It's like grieving; it's something he has got to get through, he has got kids around him and that will help him get through and you have got to get on with things.

"He is dejected and after went on in the corner there, he was dejected and he was sitting there and I always step aside and let the doctor do his work. He was sitting there with the doctor and I said to him, 'Have you finished with him yet?' That's when I spoke to Billy. I said to Billy, 'Get up and take that towel off your head and go and shake Canelo's hand.' And he did that, just as I finished my line, he was gone. I told him while he was there to shake his trainer's hand as well and he did that.

"I have called him a couple of times. I got a text from him and I have called him a couple of times. But one of his friends has text me and filled me in on the situation, that he wants to be with his friends right now and his family."