Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said “there’s a chance” that John Ryder could retire after his crushing ninth-round stoppage defeat against Jaime Munguia in their super middleweight headliner last Saturday night on DAZN at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
It’s especially difficult for Ryder (32-7, 18 KOs) because he’s coming off a big payday fight against Canelo Alvarez last May. In that fight, he fought well and pushed the undisputed 168-lb champion in the second half of the contest.
A Career High, Followed by a Brutal Setback
Ryder and his team believed that he had enough ability to defeat the unbeaten 27-year-old Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) last Saturday night, but it didn’t work out for him.
As Hearn says, Ryder’s two knockdowns that he suffered in the first four rounds got him off to a nightmarish start.
Ryder didn’t help himself by fighting with his back against the ropes, looking to counter against a high-volume puncher. It was the wrong approach for Ryder against a fighter with over 60 punches thrown per round, like Munguia.
“I think it’s always difficult straight after a fight, but having reached the heights that he’s reached, particularly the Canelo Alvarez fight and the Jaime Munguia fight, there is a chance that could be the end of the road for him,” said promoter Eddie Hearn at the post-fight press conference, talking about John Ryder possibly being at the end of his career after his loss to Jaime Munguia.
The money that Ryder made fighting Canelo likely set him up for life, and he won’t make anything close to that now that he’s been beaten by Munguia.
Believing in Victory
“We really believed he could win tonight, and he did as well. The start was a bit of a nightmare, and the fourth round wasn’t really a knockdown, but you had to score it a knockdown,” said Hearn about the punch that Munguia landed that dropped Ryder when his feet weren’t firmly planted. He was off balance when Munguia hit him.
Tough Decision to Make
“Obviously, having two knockdowns in the first four rounds was very difficult for him, but he was beaten by the younger, fresher man. So, a decision to make for sure,” said Hearn about Ryder needing to decide if he’s going to continue his career or hang up his gloves to retire after 14 years as a professional.
