Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs. John Ryder, May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico
Earlier today, it was officially announced that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is going to have his homecoming in Mexico and defend his titles against John Ryder on May 6.
The sport’s biggest star is returning on Cinco de Mayo weekend live on DAZN PPV. Undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (58-2-2) will defend his titles against WBO mandatory challenger John Ryder (32-5). This fight was discussed as the next fight for Canelo, but until this official announcement, details were scarce on whether the fight would happen on May 6. The fight is now official and will be a homecoming for Alvarez as it will take place at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Fresh off his unanimous decision victory over Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin, Canelo was looking to stay busy, but he was nursing an injured left hand which he then decided to operate on it in order to be ready for his annual May fight. At one point, it seemed as if WBA light heavyweight champ Dmitry Bivol was going to get the call, but, in the end, Alvarez wanted that homecoming, and the fight against Ryder is certainly levels down from Bivol.
In the press release, Canelo said, “I feel really happy to be coming back in May because following my surgery, I was unsure of when I’d be coming back. Returning to the ring and coming back to fight in Jalisco, where I’m from, makes me especially happy. And in John Ryder, I’m facing a very competitive fighter.”
Canelo is facing John Ryder, who is coming into this one riding a four-fight win streak, with the last being a TKO victory over then-undefeated challenger Zach Parker back in November 2022. Ryder, who goes by the name ‘The Gorilla,’ is the current WBO interim super middleweight champ, so this fight makes sense regarding Canelo fulfilling a mandatory for one of his belts. Ryder confidently said in the press release, “There’s no denying that Canelo is one of the greats, and I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s achieved in the sport, but I fully believe this is my time to fulfill my dream of becoming a World champion.”
So there you have it fight fans, May 6 live on DAZN PPV, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs. John ‘The Gorilla’ Ryder in a bout for the undisputed super middleweight crown. Stay tuned to Big Fight Weekend as we produce content in support of this huge event.
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Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, Abe grew up in a family who were and still are die-hard boxing fans. He started contributing boxing articles in 2017 while being an active duty U.S. Marine. Abe is the Managing Editor for Big Fight Weekend and also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).
