By Dan Ambrose: John Ryder says he’s still hoping he gets the fight against Canelo Alvarez for next May on Cinco de Mayo.
‘The Gorilla’ Ryder says he plans on taking the fight to the inside against Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs) and beating him at his own game.
He says he can’t fight Canelo at range, using the in & out style that WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol used to defeat the Mexican star last May, because that’s not his style.
It would be interesting if Ryder got the better of Canelo on the inside because that’s considered an area where the superstar is quite adept. Fighters like Gennadiy Golovkin didn’t dare fight Canelo in close because it would have been risky.
With Ryder’s inside fighting ability, he could be superior to Canelo, considering he hasn’t fought anyone in a long time that attempted to battle him on the inside.
Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) won the interim WBO super middleweight title on November 26th by stopping Zach Parker in the fifth round to put himself in the pole position to challenge Canelo.
Ryder reveals strategy to beat Canelo
“I know Eddie [Hearn] is the man to make this happen. He’s in communication with Saul Alvarez and Eddy Reynoso daily, I’m sure, so hopefully, I’ll be the man in the opposite corner come Cinco de Mayo weekend,” said John Ryder to Boxing Social about his hopes to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez for his four belts in May 2023.
“I said with a baseball bat before, and everyone used that against me,” said Ryder when asked what he must do to defeat Canelo. “So, no baseball bats.”
“You play him at his own game, I think. You fight him up close,” Ryder continued about his plans to beat Canelo. “He’s a great mid-range fighter.
“[Dmitry] Bivol showed that you beat him at range in and out, but I’m not that kind of fighter. So, I work to my strengths,” said Ryder about his strategy to defeat Canelo.
“I hope to be the man to share the ring. I think it’ll make for a great fight, and I hope it’s me in the opposite corner,” said Ryder to iD Boxing.
“Eddy Reynoso, he’s the man that has got the say so. They’ll tell you what they want to do.”
“I think there are talks going on at the moment. I believe Eddy Reynoso is quite agreeable to the fight,” said Tony Sims to iFL TV about the Canelo vs. Ryder fight. “It’s just whereabouts.
“I think they’re thinking of doing it in England. I think John will be Canelo’s next opponent.”