John Ryder: Canelo Alvarez has proved he is not invincible, timing is everything

John Ryder’s long and winding career through boxing now presents him with one of the greatest challenges in the sport – solving the puzzle that is Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

For years, the Mexican superstar has been widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, sweeping aside the best the sport has to offer and making history in unifying the super-middleweight division in 2021 after an extraordinary run of wins.

Ryder by contrast has made a career out of bouncing back. Six years ago, the Londoner was left reeling after suffering a fourth career defeat, three of those having come in unsuccessful British title bouts. Back then, the hopes of one day challenging for world honours looked bleak.

He now steps into a historic undisputed title showdown on Saturday, seeking the win that would register as one of the all-time great British victories and dethrone Canelo in his own kingdom, with the 32-year-old fighting back on Mexican soil for the first time in 12 years.

Assignments don’t come any trickier for the Islington fighter. But at 34 and having taken the best shots the sport has thrown at him, he is ready to live his very own ‘Rocky’ moment out in Guadalajara where there is an intense belief his moment has come.

‘Sometimes I don’t know what it is that has kept me in this sport, maybe stupidity,’ Ryder told Metro.co.uk. ‘But I am here for a reason and my dream is still alive. It is right in front of me, there for me to go and achieve it.

‘This has always been the Rocky moment I have looked forward to. But at times in the past, that vision got clouded and I couldn’t see the end target. Now, the final destination is a lot clearer and I was right to keep the faith, I was right to keep working hard, I was right to keep doing right by myself.

‘I am grateful I have had the right people around me to encourage me, spur me on and even sometimes just put an arm around me just to let me know it will be alright. This is what we have aiming for.’

After three failed attempts at the British title, Ryder fell short in his first world championship shot against Callum Smith in 2019, on the wrong end of a controversial decision in Liverpool.

As he has done time and time again, he came back stronger and in 2022, enjoyed his best year to date, beating former world champion Daniel Jacobs and previously undefeated star Zach Parker to pick up the interim WBO title and position himself at the top of the pile in his stacked division.   

By contrast, 2022 saw Canelo’s immense aura of invincibility take a hit. Having conquered the super-middleweight division, he sought more glory at light-heavyweight against WBA champion Dmitry Bivol last May. That night, he was outthought and outclassed by the Russian who became just the second man after the great Floyd Mayweather Jr to pick through Canelo and leave him chasing shadows.

Canelo dominated old foe Gennady Golovkin in their tame trilogy bout last September before undergoing surgery on a wrist injury. While he got back to winning ways, his rampant schedule and ups and downs have left Ryder to question how much is left in the tank.

‘We have to force him to fight a particular way,’ Ryder said. ‘He has proved the last year he is human, he is not invincible. He had that great 18 months when he became undisputed at super-middle, he really was unstoppable.

‘That step up to fight Bivol, it proved it was a step too far. I was surprised he took that fight, it was a strange move and it didn’t benefit him at all. Against Golvokin last September, it was hardly a vintage performance. He has had surgery since so it remains to be seen what he has got left.

‘Last year was probably the worst of his career and the best of mine. I am full of confidence, I’m not going to put myself above him, but I did what I needed to do last year and the pressure is on him now. He’s back home for the first time in 12 years, they will be expecting the Canelo of old but he might not be there anymore. I’m intrigued myself, we don’t know what he’s got left.’

Ryder has lost five of his 37 career fights, three of those coming to men Canelo has already beaten in Fielding, Smith and Billy Joe Saunders. They are three of the seven Brits the Mexican has laid waste to over the last 12 years with his 2016 knockout of Amir Khan perhaps the most iconic of those victories.

‘He has that reputation as the Brit slayer,’ Ryder admitted. ‘But we have been fortunate enough to have great champions go in there and put on a show against him. I can be different. Timing is everything in this sport and I truly believe my time is now.’

Ryder is the man of the moment but as far as Canelo is concerned, the Bivol rematch has been a constant talking point with the four-weight world champion desperate to avenge last year’s defeat.

That bout could be on the cards later this year with talk of Bivol dropping down to super-middleweight to challenge for the same IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC titles Ryder is looking to bring home this weekend.

While Canelo taking his eye off the ball would undoubtedly benefit Ryder, he hopes that is not the case.

‘I hope not because I want the absolute best of him,’ Ryder insisted. ‘I want to beat the best version of him so I hope he is fully focused on me and not Bivol. I think he is too much of a professional to do that, I think he realises the repercussions of taking his eye off the ball, especially fighting in his hometown.’

On whether he can glean anything from what Bivol and Mayweather have done in inflicting defeat on the Mexican, Ryder added: ‘His defeats are just too different. Mayweather was 10 years ago and he was just outhustled that night, shown the way by the old man.

‘Bivol was just that that bit bigger and fresher. I cannot go and build a game plan based on what happened there, I’m not Bivol, I am not that style. It is good to see what others have done well but I have to be my own man.’

Despite dark days over the years, Ryder has never given up hope and has allowed himself to dare to dream over what can happen on Saturday night.

‘Of course, we’ve looked at what can be,’ he said. ‘I’m big on visualisation, taking myself into that dressing room, seeing it and believing it.

‘These big fights, you have to wait for them. The camps are hard but we have done everything right and I am ready.’

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