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By: Sean Crose
“It’s a great opportunity that has not been gifted,” John Ryder said at Thursday’s press conference to kickoff the promotion of his May battle with the one and only Canelo Alvarez. “I’ve worked hard at this for years. Like you said, I’ve suffered the highs, the lows, the bottom of the barrel, really. I’d like to take time to thank you, Saul and Eddie, for making this fight happen. Charlie, for working tirelessly back and forth with you to get the deal done. And three, it’s right what (was) said about my trainer Tony Sims, he can’t be here because of the schedule.
Ryder may be Canelo’s mandatory, but the Englishmen isn’t one of the sport’s bigger names – though he’ll certainly become one if he bests the future Hall of Famer in Canelo’s native Mexico this spring. “I’m not here for a holiday,” he said, “and I wouldn’t bring the team with me, have the team around me that I have if I didn’t believe I could win. I’m going, leaving no stone unturned, putting everything in this camp and truly believe I can come away victorious on May 6.”
Although there has been some unwarranted criticism regarding Ryder being Canelo’s latest opponent, promoter Eddie Hearn made it a point at the press conference describe Ryder as “someone that we’ve worked with for over a decade. He’s paid his dues in the sport. He’s had his ups and his downs and now he’s on a big up. Victories over Danny Jacobs and Zach Parker made him the mandatory challenger, the interim world champion, and someone that will come to Guadalajara with every intention to win. With a big heart, with lots of strength, and a chance to make history for Great Britain and become the Undisputed Super-Middleweight champion of the world.”
“But in front of him,” Hearn added, “the biggest star in the sport of boxing, Saul Canelo Alvarez.”
