Saul "Canelo" Alvarez made a successful return to Mexico with a unanimous decision win over John Ryder from Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. Alvarez retained his WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles.
Canelo wasted no time setting the tone early in front of a raucous Mexican crowd. He landed some good body shots in the opening round, and Ryder didn't offer much resistance.
ShowtimeShawn Porter @ShowtimeShawnPCanelo looks fit and ready. This should be quick
It didn't take long for Ryder to start donning the crimson mask. Canelo opened up a cut on his opponent's nose in the third round as the superstar continued to build a massive lead.
Dan Rafael @DanRafael1Canelo bloodies Ryder's nose in rd 3 with a right hand <a href="">#boxing</a> <a href="">#CaneloRyder</a>
A firm one-two combination put Ryder down in the fifth round. The Brit showed some heart by getting up and continuing to fight, but it only served to show the difference in skill between the two.
DAZN Boxing @DAZNBoxingA clean 1-2 knock down on Ryder in the 5th round. 😮<a href="">#CaneloRyder</a> is LIVE on DAZN PPV in the US and Canada and available as part of your regular subscription in selected territories. <a href="">
One notable development from the knockdown was Canelo's use of the right hand. As Adam Abramowitz of The Ring noted, he has been hesitant to use his right in recent fights.
adam abramowitz @snboxingCanelo refamiliarized himself with his right hand tonight and it's really helped. Too left-hook happy in recent fights.
From there, it was all about Alvarez's skill and ability to control the fight, though Ryder showed nothing but toughness in refusing to go away.
Mike Coppinger @MikeCoppingerRound 9: Canelo rocks John Ryder with two massive right hands and then a third right buckles him into the ropes. Ryder fights back and then a fourth shot wobbles him again, but he doesn't go down. 10-9, Canelo. 89-81, Canelo <a href="">#CaneloRyder</a>
Still, Alvarez didn't seem too worried defensively, opening himself up to punches from Ryder because he didn't seem to have the power to do anything substantial.
DAZN Boxing @DAZNBoxingJOHN RYDER HAS HEART! 🦍<a href="">#CaneloRyder</a> is LIVE on DAZN PPV in the US and Canada and available as part of your regular subscription in selected territories. <a href="">
Alvarez ultimately couldn't put Ryder away, but this was still a dominant win.
The match is significant for Alvarez because it was his first time fighting in Mexico in over a decade. Canelo—who usually fights in Las Vegas—last fought in his home country in 2011 when he knocked out Kermit Cintron as a light middleweight.
The two fights represent Alvarez's evolution from a 154-pound rising prospect to bona fide superstar with titles in four different divisions.
The 32-year-old has little left to prove in his career. He's already cemented a Hall of Fame career that includes a 59-2-2 record. However, he would like to run back one of his two losses.
Alvarez was unsuccessful in his bid to take the WBA (super) light heavyweight title from Dmitry Bivol, coming up short in a unanimous decision loss.
"You know, I want the same terms, the same everything as the last fight," Alvarez said. "Right now, I'm focused a hundred percent on John Ryder because, you know, it's boxing, and you never know. But Bivol, I [want] to have the rematch with Bivol [on] the same terms."
Alvarez was outboxed by Bivol at 175 pounds en route to a 115-113 loss on all three judges' scorecards. However, Canelo underwent surgery to repair a wrist injury that may have hindered his ability to properly train for the fight.
With wins over Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryder since that loss, now might be the time for him to get his rematch.
