The rugged British warrior, former two-time world title challenger John Ryder, has announced his retirement at age 35 today, ending his 14-year professional career.
Ryder (32-7, 18 KOs) suffered a disappointing ninth-round TKO defeat last month at the hands of the young upstart Jaime Munguia on January 27th in Phoenix. This was his second loss in a row.
World Title Dream Unfulfilled, But Career Full of Achievements
Ryder states that although he never achieved his goal of becoming a world champion, he accomplished more than he thought he would when he first began boxing.
Some would say that Ryder was given a bad break with his controversial defeat against WBA super middleweight champion Callum Smith in November 2019 in Liverpool, England, in a fight he appeared to win, but the judges gave it to the hometown fighter.
In another notable loss, Ryder came close to beating Billy Joe Saunders in 2013, in another contest that many felt he should have won. It wasn’t to be, but the performance from Ryder showed how good he was. Saunders chose not to give Ryder a rematch, which was a wise move on his part.
Heartfelt Retirement Announcement
“It is with a heavy heart that I’ve come to the decision to hang up my gloves and retire from boxing,” said John Ryder on X today, announcing his retirement after 14 years as a pro.
“Although I didn’t manage to win that world title, I achieved and experienced more than I could ever have imagined when I first put on a pair of boxing gloves, and I wouldn’t change that for any belt,” said Ryder.
On a positive note, Ryder made a lot of money in his career, particularly from his clash against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez last May. With the money Ryder made, he can afford to retire now without needing a new job.
That’s one of the benefits of fighting a superstar like Canelo. He has that Midas touch for fighters, and this is a perfect example.
THANKYOU! ITS BEEN A BEEN A HELL OF A RYD! 🦍 pic.twitter.com/CfxtGV0LKb
— john ryder (@_John_Ryder_) February 6, 2024