Mexican boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez successfully defended his undisputed super-middleweight crown against Britain’s John Ryder in front of a boisterous home crowd of 50,000 at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.
Despite putting up a brave fight, Ryder lost to Alvarez on points after 12 rounds. Two judges scored the bout 118-109 and the other 120-107 in favour of Alvarez.
Alvarez, 32, dominated the fight from the outset and landed two thudding left hooks to Ryder’s body in the opening round. The Londoner had to fight back from an early deficit after Alvarez busted his nose in the third round, leaving him with a bloodied face for the remainder of the bout.
Alvarez dictated the pace of the fight and dropped Ryder in the fifth round with a sensational left-right combination. Although Ryder survived the round, he struggled to regain his footing in the face of Alvarez’s relentless attacks.
Ryder, who was fighting at the world title level for the second time after being defeated by Callum Smith in 2019, put up a gutsy performance but was fighting on instinct at times.
However, landing some blows on Alvarez, he struggled to make much of an impact, and the result of the fight was never really in doubt.
Alvarez, who is a four-weight world champion, won his 59th fight since turning professional, with two losses and two draws. After the fight, he said: “I’m happy with the fight. I won, and I’m happy people had a great fight. He’s a strong fighter. I knew that; I’m not surprised about it.”
Ryder, meanwhile, was understandably disappointed with the result, saying: “I’ve dared to do it, and I’ve come up short. The overriding thing is I’m gutted.” Promoter Eddie Hearn praised Ryder’s performance, saying: “John showed he was a world-class fighter, but Canelo is one of the best ever. John deserves massive respect tonight.”
The fight was an emotional and historic event for Mexican boxing, and Alvarez’s entrance to the ring was suitably epic.
A mariachi band of around 50 members played as he made his way to the ring in a stadium lit up by smartphone torches. Ryder, for his part, received a hostile reception from the home crowd during his ring walk.
Alvarez’s next move is uncertain, but there are calls for a potential clash against former world champion David Benavidez. Meanwhile, Ryder’s future is unclear, and retirement is a possibility after losing at the world title level for the second time.
