John Ryder joked in January that he would need a baseball bat to beat undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez.
His fists may be enough to get the job done.
Ryder, who will face off against the Mexican star on Saturday’s pay-per-view show in Alvarez’s home state of Jalisco, is an 11-1 loser for a reason. The 34-year-old Londoner is unmatched in terms of talent or achievement.
At the same time, he is a capable, tough all-around boxer who can catch Alvarez at the right moment.
Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) impressed when he lost one dispute resolution against former super-middleweight owner Callum Smith in November 2019. Three games later, last February, he had his breakthrough when he did. former 160-pound champion Daniel Jacobs.
He is no longer young but he believes he has never been better.
“I’ve had my ups and downs, I’ve had bumps and I’ve come back stronger because of that,” he said. DAZN. “I think this war is happening at the right time. I’m probably in the best mental and physical state I’ve ever been in.
“So I’m really looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) has struggled with his standards for the past year.
I endure First loss in a decade a year ago, when the 175-pound title holder was awarded, Dmitry Bivol overtook him to win what should have been a broad decision. The defeat cost Alvarez the number 1 spot on the pound in many lists.
I’m back Unmasking 40-year-old rival Gennadiy Golovkin in their third fight four months later but he also looked normal in the process.
The right-hander subsequently underwent surgery to repair a persistent injury to his left wrist, which may or may not have played a major role in his relatively minor performances before. Bivol and Golovkin.
If that’s the case, if Alvarez is 100% now, that could be bad news for Ryder. If not, that means Alvarez is no longer the dominant superstar in the sport since Floyd Mayweather left the ring in 2017.
That could open the door for a major letdown given Ryder’s solid all-round ability and experience, although fighting in hostile territory would be an additional obstacle.
Of course, Ryder was right about Alvarez. He hopes his opponent will be on top form in what will be a crucial match for the Mexican, who has more motivation to fight in front of his home fans for the first time since 2011.
“He’s still there as one of the best in the world right now,” Ryder said. “Not only that, he is the best of our generation. He is on the short list of top fighters. He is still dangerous.
“I think the best of him could still come.”
The rest of us are left to wonder about that.
