By Dan Ambrose: Canelo Alvarez wants to prove all his doubters wrong when he defends his four 168-lb belts against John Ryder on May 6th at the 48,000-seat Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Although Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs) says, he’s going to show “everybody they’re wrong” about him, how he plans on doing that by fighting a low-level guy like ‘The Gorilla’ Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) is difficult to ascertain.
Fans have been pointing out the obvious by talking about how Canelo has started to slip, and he doesn’t like it. They’re also unhappy with all the weak opposition Canelo has faced since late 2018. He’s only fought one good opponent in the last five years, Dmitry Bivol and he was totally outclassed by him from A to B.
Ryder, 34, has lost to three of Canelo’s past opponents – Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith, and Rocky Fielding – and many believe he deserved a loss to a fourth in his recent fight against Daniel Jacobs last year.
Canelo won’t prove anything by beating Ryder other than reinforcing the view that U.S. boxing fans have of him being a cherry-picker who has been feasting on UK opposition since late 2018 rather than getting in the trenches and toughing it out against the killers in the U.S.
“I’m so excited to show everybody they’re wrong,” Canelo said during his kickoff press conference in San Diego for his May 6th fight against John Ryder. “I’ve had injuries too. I’m not at my best. They’re going to see what is coming. Be careful with that,” said Canelo.
As you can see, Canelo seems angry about fans viewing him as being past it and milking his contract with DAZN, fighting scrubs instead of the opposition they want to see him competing against.
If Canelo truly wanted to prove the doubters wrong, he would face better opposition than a fighter with five losses on his record like Ryder, wouldn’t he? Why do you fight someone like Ryder, Saunders, Fielding, Smith & a 40-year-old Golovkin unless you don’t feel capable of beating the best?
“He [John Ryder] has everything to win, nothing to lose, right?” said Canelo, trying to build up his lackluster opponent. “He’s always there, fighting with the good fighters, trying to get that opportunity, and now he got it. It will be a danger for me, but I feel good.
“I think it’s a perfect time. The perfect fight to bring to Guadalajara.”
Boxing fans have noted the rapid physical decline in Canelo Alvarez since last year, and many of them feel that he’s no longer the top fighter he’d been during his glory days.
Indeed, people don’t even view Canelo as the #2 fighter at 168, but rather as an opportunistic belt-holder who took advantage of three weak champions from England and one in Tennessee to become the undisputed super middleweight champ in 2021.
Dmitry Bivol put a spotlight on Canelo’s true talent, or lack thereof, last year when he schooled him in 12 one-sided rounds and even totally shot 40-year-old Gennadiy Golovkin came close to beating Alvarez last September.