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Everybody you speak to in boxing is universally delighted for John Ryder to be getting this opportunity, no matter how heavily the cards will be stacked against him when he challenges Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the undisputed world super-middleweight title.
This former doorman, forced to work the London nightclub scene because he did not make enough money from boxing, came close to abandoning the sport altogether.
The decision to persevere will be vindicated by his biggest payday of his career in Guadalajara, where 50,000 Mexicans will celebrate both Cinco de Mayo, when the nation celebrates the anniversary of victory over the French empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, and the return of one of their own.
Canelo, who has not fought on home soil since 2011 and at one of his lowest ebbs, needs their support.
The last year has seen his rise up the divisions grind to a dramatic halt against light-heavyweight Dmitry Bivol. With all three judges awarding Bivol the fight 115-113, for Alvarez it was a shot of reputational damage which was not totally repaired by beating an ageing Gennady Golovkin.
A punishing night for Ryder will put Canelo back where he was and unfortunately for his Islington-born opponent, he has retained the nickname “the Brit Basher”, borne of his famous victories over Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith and Amir Khan.
Ryder is at least more comfortable at this weight, having struggled to cut down to middleweight in the past. It was clear he was in far better shape at 168lbs against Daniel Jacobs and he was even more impressive against Zach Parker, becoming the WBO’s interim champion in the process.
That is how he became mandatory challenger for Canelo, a position he believes tonight’s result is not a formality.
He insists that the five losses in his 37 professional fights do not tell the whole story – his defeat to Liam Smith was particularly contentious – and his best hope is to box in the pocket, disarm Canelo with body shots and try and overwhelm him by sheer number of punches thrown.
Not for nothing is he known as “The Gorilla”, though he has never fought anybody of this calibre before. Canelo, a four-weight champion with aspirations of a rematch with Bivol, and there has always been a sense he is not content to sit tight at super-middleweight, undeterred by his surprise humbling at the hands of the Russian.
Ryder senses this is his opportunity and he will never get a better one to reap the rewards of one of the most admirably hard-fought careers in British boxing.
Canelo vs Ryder
- Date: Saturday 6 May
- Venue: Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
- Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 4am UK time
- TV/live stream: DAZN, where subscriptions start from £9.99 a month. While it’s pay-per-view in the US and Canada UK fans will have it included in their monthly package
- Undercard highlights: WBO European light-heavyweight champion Ricards Bolotniks fights Oleksandr Gvozdyk but has had more than a few chinks in his armour exposed by his defeat to Joshua Buatsi
- i predicts: Canelo to win by TKO rounds 6-8
Full card:
- Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs John Ryder
- Julio Cesar Martinez vs Ronal Batista
- Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs Ricards Bolotniks
- Gabriel Valenzuela vs Stevie Spark
- Nathan Devon Rodriguez vs Alexander Mejia
- Bek Nurmaganbet vs Argenis Espana
- Lawrence King vs Elio German Rafael
- Johansen Alvarez Suarez vs Johan Rodriguez Arreguin
- Abilkhan Amankul vs Jesus Moroyoqui Palomares
- Carlos Emiliano Rojo vs Fabian Trejo Rivera
- Jesus Larios vs Alejandro Curiel
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Buatsi vs Stepien
The purpose of Joshua Buatsi ditching Eddie Hearn and Matchroom was to get more eyeballs on his fights. The theory was, he needed to be on Sky Sports and feared a future with Hearn and DAZN threatened to send him into obscurity.
That said, it is 12 months since his last fight and so far all the split has done, aside from antagonising his former promoters, is stalled his career.
That makes tonight’s fight with unbeaten Polish light-heavyweight Pawel Stepien (18-0-1) not only must-win, but must-do-it-in-style.
Ultimately, the goal is for Buatsi to get a world title shot against Artur Beterbiev or Bivol, so the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist can put “something tangible” on his mantelpiece again. In the more immediate future, a date with London rival Anthony Yarde, or even Dan Azeez, would be huge.
- Date: Saturday 6 May
- Venue: Genting Arena, Birmingham, UK
- Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 10pm UK time
- TV/live stream: Sky Sports Action. You can stream on SkyGo or with a NOW 24-hour pass, which costs £11.99. Coverage starts from 2am (early hours of Sunday morning UK time).
- Undercard highlights: Ben Whittaker has delivered on his promise to entertain in his first two fights and he now takes on Jordan Grant. Lauren Price fights Kirstie Bavington for the vacant British women’s welterweight title – the first ever female professional British title fight – while Tyler Denny is also worth keeping an eye out for at middleweight after his impressive victories over Brad Pauls and Bradley Rea
- i predicts: Buatsi to win by KO rounds 6-8
Full card:
- Joshua Buatsi vs Pawel Stepien
- Sean McComb vs Kaisee Benjamin
- Ben Whittaker vs Jordan Grant
- Lauren Price vs Kirstie Bavington
- Jimmy First vs Cori Gibbs
- Shakan Pitters vs Joel McIntyre
- Tyler Denny vs Macauley McGowan
- Danny Quartermaine vs TBA
Any other business
- Cruiserweight David Light suffered a mild stroke and underwent surgery to remove a blood clot following his recent defeat to Lawrence Okolie. The New Zealander’s condition was had not been apparent in the immediate aftermath of the fight.
- Richard Riakporhe has signed a new long-term deal with Boxxer and he is eyeing a world title shot to celebrate. Riakporhe is currently in talks with WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen Goulamirian.
- Beterbiev has confirmed he will fight Callum Smith, with TopRank beating Matchroom in the purse bid.
- There is also a super-welterweight 10-rounder in Russia tonight between Magomed Kurbanov and former world title challenger Michel Soro.
- Deontay Wilder was arrested this week after allegedly being found in possession of a firearm in Los Angeles. Wilder later tweeted: “I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
- Australian middleweight Michael Zerafa is in danger of losing his status as the WBA’s mandatory challenger having chosen to step aside from a fight with Erisandry Lara.
