John Ryder was expected to be flattened inside six rounds against undisputed world champion Canelo Alvarez last May, but emerged stronger and with some newfound supporters after boxing through the pain barrier vs. a future Hall of Famer in his quest to finally become a full titlist. Next comes an unbeaten-but-untested proposition in Jaime Munguia, so how will the Gorilla fare?
Ryder rode the Canelo storm
Jaime Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) vs. John Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs)
Munguia defending WBC Silver super-middleweight title, unofficial eliminator
Ringwalks from 4am BST on Sunday at Phoenix’s Footprint Center, Arizona
Canelo didn’t get the Dmitry Bivol rematch he so craved, at least for now, but logged a grinding UD12 (120-107, 118-109, 118-109) win over John Ryder last May – a decision victory many didn’t expect to be as difficult as it proved against the Brit.
Ryder started well against an admittedly slow-starter in the champion, who was already starting to build up a lead as far as body punches were concerned.
Not overawed by the challenge on enemy territory, the interim titlist needed to box up close and stop Canelo from controlling the distance through six minutes.
Then came the broken nose in round three.
Alvarez busted him open with a straight right hand, they traded shots in the pocket but the overwhelming favourite was showing why many expected him to score an early stoppage by producing the better and more impactful work.
Ryder snapped his southpaw jab well in the fourth but was absorbing damage aplenty in return, as Canelo clearly had no respect for the power coming back his way through 12 minutes.
Right on cue, the multi-weight world champion scored a R5 knockdown – dropping him against the ropes with a sharp one-two – though Ryder resisted the urge to surrender, surviving the round as you wondered how much longer it would continue.
Ryder began the sixth with purpose and more punch volume, but was rocked back against the ropes again by a right hand as the power disparity between them was clear – some sneaky uppercuts and scoring shots continued to fly.
There were signs of life again in the Ryder corner as he got up early before round seven began, off-balance and on wobbly legs but gamely standing tall with the smaller man walking forward, flicking out his jab intently.
The eighth and ninth were lull rounds and expected given the high intensity, Ryder roughing up the champion and his corner saying they could see Canelo starting to tire – perhaps wishful thinking, given he’d already built up a big lead.
Canelo stopped trying to find the knockout punch and instead was more defensively-focused in the final two rounds as Ryder did the more noteworthy work, in a moral victory for someone many felt wasn’t good enough to box the Mexican.
The probing question now is clear: How will he fare against Jaime Munguia, who experienced his first test last time out against Sergiy Derevyachenko and will be expected to better Canelo’s showing if he’s to finally prove his world-class credentials in what could be a busy 2024 campaign at 168lbs given the existing landscape.
Munguia has been criticised for largely fighting c-level opposition over recent years, having been tipped for geartness and first boxing someone of note on the world stage in Liam Smith to defend his WBO world light-middleweight title in July 2018.
He made five defences of the title before moving up to middleweight at the start of 2020, then going again last year for a Fight of the Year contender against three-time world championship challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Many feel it’s not a coincidence that Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy promotions have spoonfed the Tijuana-born fighter with comfortable opposition much like Gilberto Ramirez, for fear of him being exposed by the very best as he steps up the levels.
Zurdo has already ventured up to cruiserweight after Dmitry Bivol cruised beyond him to make another WBA light-heavyweight title defence, though super-middleweight is a deceptively hot division packed with young contenders looking to succeed Canelo’s throne as he targets legacy fights to finish his own career.
Munguia at 27 is the same age as an ominously-growing David Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs), WBA world titlist David Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) and Edgar Berlanga are a year younger on different trajectories while 22-year-old Diego Pacheco (20-0, 17 KOs) is edging ever closer to prominence himself under the DAZN banner.
Picture source: Getty Images
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