Updated:
May 7, 2023 4:11 pm
Canelo Alvarez made a successful return to his native land by capturing a wide 12-round unanimous decision over John Ryder in front of 50,000 fans at the Estadio Akron.
From the opening bell, it was clear that Canelo was the more skilled fighter in the ring who landed some eye-catching shots in the first round, including a couple of painful-looking body shots. However, it was also very apparent that Ryder came to win and had no plans to just survive.
Every time Canelo connected with a power punch, Ryder would rally back with shots of his own, including a sharp left uppercut that he had success with throughout the bout.
Nevertheless, Ryder experienced the harsh reality of facing one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world in round three when Canelo Alvarez landed a right hand that broke his nose.
Canelo’s straight right hand continued to cause trouble in the fifth round, this time a one-two combination forced Ryder to crumble down to the canvas. Yet, to Ryder’s credit, he took the referee’s count on one knee before rising up and deciding to continue with the contest.
A knockout win seemed inevitable for the Mexican Superstar but Ryder survived the round in impressive fashion by firing back and deterring Canelo from finding the finishing blow.
Rounds six, seven and eight followed a similar pattern with Canelo Alvarez connecting with the right hand at will. Again though, ‘The Gorilla’ showed plenty of heart and determination to avoid getting stopped. Besides, landing the odd left hand of his own to stop Canelo from overwhelming him.
In the latter stages of round nine though, Canelo seriously hurt Ryder with another right hand that had his opponent off-balanced and wobbling around the ring. Despite being a bloody mess, Ryder refused to go down and began trading punches with Canelo, taunting him in the process.
Canelo seemed to take his foot off the gas in rounds ten, eleven and twelve, knowing that Ryder would need a dramatic knockout to get his belts. Regardless, the former pound-for-pound king continued to punish Ryder with straight right hands and hooks to the body.
Ryder rolled the dice in the latter stages of round twelve, but couldn’t significantly hurt Canelo Alvarez who coasted to victory. Two judges scored the bout 118-109 in favour of Canelo and the other judge had it even wider at 120-107.
Canelo Alvarez wants rematch with dmitry bivol next
Now boasting a record of 59-2-2, Canelo Alvarez is determined to avenge the second loss of his professional career to Dmitry Bivol and capture another world title at light heavyweight.
“Everybody knows we want Bivol”, Canelo said in his post-fight interview.
“The rematch with Bivol. If that fight with Bivol doesn’t happen then we will see. I’m able to fight everybody.”
Canelo moved up to 175 lbs in May 2022 and lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Bivol, failing to add the WBA strap to his collection. Since their bout, Bivol stated he is willing to have a rematch with Canelo, but would rather fight the Mexican superstar at 168 lbs for the Undisputed Super Middleweight Championship. However, Canelo wants the same conditions as last time.
“Same terms, same everything. Because I just want it in that weight [175 lbs].
Bivol does not have a scheduled fight so a rematch with Canelo in September is a real possibility. Still, if an agreement cannot be made, Canelo Alvarez could stay at 168 pounds and defend all the belts against WBC Interim Champion, David Benavidez.
Alternatively, Alvarez has previously expressed his desire to become a five-weight world champion. Therefore, another option for Canelo is to fight one of the world champions at cruiserweight.
